


The Best Fake Boyfriend Ever

by suzvoy



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Lily has some issues, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-06 10:42:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16831051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzvoy/pseuds/suzvoy
Summary: When a cute stranger asks Reid to help him out, he actually says yes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Luke/Reid fake dating fic! Weeeeeeeeee! Future-AU-fic, assuming everything happened up until the end of the Mason storyline, which ended differently.
> 
> Many, many thanks to the lovely nel and d <3
> 
> An extreme guilty pleasure fic, very much needed at the moment (life suuuuuuucks). Nothing really in the way of Luke/Reid conflict, just two crazy boys being crazy about each other. Fluff, fluff and more fluff! Nothing in this is meant to be an accurate reflection of anything. Rated R for language and sex.

Reid was busy perusing the menu in his favourite booth at his favourite diner when a – very attractive – guy suddenly appeared next to him, staring at the booth beseechingly.

“Please tell me you're eating alone.”

That had certainly never happened before. “Not that it's any of your business, but yes-”

“Perfect!” the guy announced and then just happily threw himself into the booth across from Reid as if this was in any way normal behaviour. “Sorry to do this to you but I really need a rescue right now.”

Wonderful, probably some woman he was on a terrible first date with. Reid had no intention of getting involved in anyone's personal business. “Look, all I want to do is eat in peace-”

“I'll pay for anything you order.”

Reid thought about it. He could more than afford the food there, but a free meal always did taste so much sweeter. “I'm listening.”

“My name's Luke,” the guy introduced, but then his eyes widened as he saw something over Reid's shoulder. “Crap, he's coming.” Focusing back on Reid, he pleaded with him using his voice and his eyes – quite effectively, if Reid were honest. Luke's eyes were very pretty. “Please just act like you know me.”

What the hell?

Reid soon saw what – or more especially who – Luke was looking at when another guy appeared next to Reid's booth. He was attractive enough, Reid supposed, though his hair was too long for Reid to find him really appealing. Also, who the hell wore a scarf in the middle of July?

“Wow, you really are meeting someone,” Scarf Guy said to Luke as he glanced over at Reid. “I was convinced you were lying.”

Within seconds he'd already put Reid's teeth on edge – something that either took skill, talent or raw dumb luck. Reid was betting on the dumb part. He also wasn't letting this guy get away with being the biggest asshole in the room – that was Reid's job.

“Who's this, Luke?” he asked, committing to the role.

Shooting him a grateful look, Luke looked considerably more relaxed as he introduced Scarf Guy. “Mason Jarvis,” he explained. “We...knew each other back in Oakdale.”

Reid nodded along like he'd heard all about Oakdale before, when in actuality he had no freaking clue where it even was.

Mason honestly looked a little offended. “I'm surprised you haven't heard of me.”

Wow, ego, much? “I can honestly say Luke's never mentioned you at all.”

Sitting across from him, Luke didn't even bother holding back his grin.

Mason's unbearable smugness finally cracked, a little. “Oh,” he said, sounding surprised – just for a few moments, before recovering. “And you are?”

“Oh, sorry, Mason, where are my manners?” Luke asked rhetorically, obviously covering for the fact that he had literally no idea what Reid's name was. “Mason, this is-”

“Reid Oliver,” he introduced, taking over from Luke's lead-in. They made a good team. “Dr Reid Oliver,” he added because while he didn't usually need to trade on his title, this asshole clearly needed an assault on all fronts.

“A doctor,” Mason remarked, sounding suitably impressed before turning his head to look at Luke. “You did well, Luke.”

Luke's eyes widened at the assumption that he and Reid were together – he obviously hadn't explicitly said he was dating the person he was meeting before rushing over to Reid's table – but it wasn't like Reid was bothered by the idea. In fact, it made his role even more interesting to play.

Everything Mason said was so damn patronising – no wonder Luke wanted rescuing from his guy. Reid usually liked to keep to himself – or had until recently – but Mason needed to be taken down. “On the contrary,” he said firmly, holding Luke's gaze as he looked across at him, “I'm the one who did well in this relationship.”

Face flushing, Luke lowered his head even as he smiled privately in happiness. It was such a perfect reaction that Reid genuinely had no idea if it was act or not.

Either way it was extremely appealing.

“Well,” Mason said, ruining the moment, “lucky for you, I guess. Look, I'm gonna head to the men's room but then what do you say we catch up on old times? I must admit, it's not my usual milieu,” he immediately continued, not giving Luke a chance to respond as he glanced around the diner, “but when in Rome...” With a final nod, he took himself over to the men's room.

Who the hell actually used the word milieu?

As soon as Mason was out of hearing range, Luke leant forward and spoke quickly. “I'm so sorry about this.”

“Are you kidding me?” Reid asked rhetorically. “This is the most entertainment I've had in months. That said – please tell me that moron isn't actually your ex.” The guy was wearing a scarf even in the middle of July. There had to be something wrong with him.

“Hardly,” Luke said distastefully, which made Reid's impression of him go up. “My ex's ex,” he explained, looking a little embarrassed. “My boyfriend at the time – Noah – left me for him.”

While Reid suddenly understood Luke's desire to look like he wasn't eating alone, he had to give his brain a mental scrub because he found it impossible to picture anyone leaving Luke for that guy. “Even if we could forget what an ass Mason is, this Noah's seen you, right? You're much more attractive.”

Flushing again, Luke nonetheless looked pleased and took the compliment. “That's nice of you, thanks.”

“Simply stating fact.”

“Anyway,” he shrugged, “looks aren't everything.”

Yeah, but even in the personality stakes Luke already had that idiot beat – something Reid was about to share when Carol came over.

“Sorry about the wait, Reid,” she said by way of greeting, “but we were all so shocked you were actually in here with someone that I needed to take a few minutes.”

Luke let out a small laugh.

Reid rolled his eyes. “Even though I should threaten your tip for that remark, I won't.” Reid knew just how shitty the wage system was when it came to wait staff. “In fact,” he continued, “if you help us out, I'll guarantee you an even bigger tip than usual.”

Carol definitely looked interested. “As long as it doesn't involve a felony, I'm in.”

He started work immediately. “Carol, this is Luke,” he said, nodding across the booth. Luke raised a hand and waved at her. It was not at all adorable. “We eat here together all the time – for the past few months, anyway.” Probably better to let this be a relatively new relationship. Less chance of getting caught up in lies, that way. “We need to sell the idea that we're dating.” She nodded like she'd been expecting to hear that. “The guy who'll come back to the table in a minute needs to be brought down a peg – or three.”

“Got it,” she said. “Should I take your drink orders now, or...?”

“Well I know Mason will only want coffee anyway,” Luke offered, “so we might as well order drinks.”

When Carol was gone, Mason still hadn't returned (what was he doing in there? Dramatically re-arranging his scarf?), so Reid quickly asked for the down-low – Luke's age, job, anything else he really should know if he was playing the boyfriend.

Luke quickly told him – 23, ran his own charitable foundation, only lived in Chicago for a few months, big family, mostly all back in Oakdale – and then asked the same information of Reid. 34, lived in Chicago for the past three years, since taking over as Head of Neurology at Chicago General. No family to speak of.

“Wow,” Luke joked, “I really did do well.”

“You run a charity,” Reid pointed out, “I don't think there's much in it.”

Conceding, Luke grinned – a visual Reid was coming to enjoy more and more every time he saw it – when Mason sadly returned.

Sitting next to Luke, he talked about himself for a while – Reid mimed hanging himself when Mason wasn't looking, forcing Luke to hold back a laugh – when Carol finally arrived with their drinks.

“Here you go, boys,” she announced, placing the drinks on the table one by one, then holding the tray underneath her arm, pulling out her pen and order pad. “So, what're we having today? Luke, you having the usual?” She was good.

But then so was Luke. “Thanks, Carol,” he said easily, like they spoke all the time. “But I think I'll go for the bacon cheeseburger and fries today.”

“Oookay,” she nodded, jotting that down on the pad. “Reid? Next on the menu is the chicken club, I think.” 'Noticing' Mason's confusion, she explained. “Used to be a real stick-in-the-mud, this guy,” she told him, “a creature of habit. Always ordered the same meal – cheeseburger and fries, no pickle. And then I don't see him for a while and when he comes back, he starts at the beginning of the menu and orders the next dish on there, whatever it is, everytime he eats here. Come to think of it,” Carol added contemplatively, “that's probably around the time you two started dating,” she told Luke. “Always knew you were good for him,” she winked.

Luke preened under the attention, undeserving as it was.

“What can I say?” Reid asked, playing along – though every word she'd said had been true up until the fiction about Luke. “He made me realise life's too short.” And – yeah, it was a hell of a lot sappier than he'd ever gone in the relationships he'd had in the past, but Mason looked like he was actually buying it. “And – yeah. The chicken club's good.”

“And what you about you, hon?” Carol asked Mason.

“Caesar salad.”

“With chicken?”

“No,” he said snottily, “if I wanted chicken I would've said I wanted chicken.”

Freezing in place, Carol stared at him for a few moments before smiling too-pleasantly. “Just checking.” Putting her pad and pen away, she reached for their menus. “Give me a holler if you need anything.”

Reid would like to think that Carol was professional enough that nothing untoward ever ended up in any customer's food. However, he'd heard enough horror stories about the food-service industry to know that if he'd been Mason, he wouldn't have been touching anything Carol served him today.

“So, Mason,” Luke began, “what're you doing in Chicago? Last I heard, you were still out in LA.”

Clearly pleased to talk about himself again, Mason prattled on about an 'opportunity' that could be opening up in the city – Reid genuinely had no idea what the guy did, but when he mentioned a friend of a friend who knew Ben Affleck, he figured it was something to do with the movie industry.

Though Reid was willing to bet Ben Affleck had heard about Mason about as many times as he'd heard of Reid himself – as in, never.

“And what about you, Luke?” Mason finally asked. “You still working on your little charity?”

“Actually, The Snyder Foundation has only grown in size and scope,” Luke announced boldly, clearly not about to be cowed by the likes of Mason. “Hence why I moved to Chicago this year. Oakdale will always mean a lot to me, but it's harder to get things done from there, even with the technology available these days. We're actually looking into partnering up with the hospitals and medical centres in the Chicago area, to see if there's any support we can offer LGBT kids who are currently dealing with medical issues. Reid's idea,” he added proudly, which was a complete falsehood for such a great idea.

He hoped that part was true.

Nodding sagely, like he'd been Luke's mentor all along, Mason spoke. “Well, I'm glad you're finally doing something productive with your life. I know Noah was always worried that you never made it through college.”

Okay, yeah, Reid couldn't fake any 'niceness' anymore – and by nice he just meant keeping his mouth shut because he'd known if he hadn't, exactly the type of thing he was about to say now would come out. “Hang on there, Scarf Boy,” he started, making Mason blink at him in surprise. “You make movies – possibly the most self-indulgent career choice possible – and you think Luke is 'finally' doing something productive when he's been running a charity that helps people – helps children – for years?”

“Reid,” Luke began.

“I'm sorry, Luke,” he shook his head, “but this moron's been bad-mouthing you since he got here and I won't put up with it anymore.”

“No,” Luke tried again, smiling gently, reaching across the table to touch Reid's forearm. “I mean I don't need you to defend me. I can defend myself.”

Satisfied that at least someone was going to finally rip Mason a new one, Reid backed down.

Patting Reid's arm one more time, Luke turned to face the man still stupidly sitting next to him. “First of all, the reason I never 'made it' through college is that Noah got me kicked out by reporting me for breaking rules that someone else actually broke, so I think his opinion of my time at college is more than a little suspect.” Wow, this Noah sounded even worse than Mason. “Secondly – Reid's right. You've done nothing but insult me since arriving and I was going to try, you know? Actually doing the right thing, act like a decent human being when you're clearly still incapable of that.”

“Luke,” Mason began knowingly, “if this is about Noah-”

“This has nothing to do with Noah,” Luke interrupted passionately, “this is about you, still, after all these years, acting like you're so much better than everyone else. The sheer smugness is amazing and completely unjustified – you were never that impressive. You manipulated a student you were mentoring into dating you – which says so much about your ethics, by the way – and then guess what, Mason?” Luke smirked. “Then he left you, too. In the end, you were no more important to him than I was.”

There was a whole hell of a lot to unpack about that, but mostly Reid was just glad Luke wasn't rolling over and taking it – already it sounded like he'd had more than enough to deal with in the past.

As it was, Mason barely hesitated before shifting along the booth until he could stand up. “I think...I'll go.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Luke told him. “Don't worry about your food – we'll pay for it. In return you can promise that if you ever see me again?” He stared at him flatly. “Don't talk to me.”

Saying nothing else, Mason just left.

Reid was honestly a little turned on, which was impressive for so many reasons.

“Wow,” Luke transformed completely as Mason scampered off, wearing a delighted smile, “I should've done that years ago. I feel so good!”

“It was definitely impressive,” Reid replied, which wasn't even an exaggeration.

“I'm so sorry for dragging you into all this,” he said sincerely. “If I'd done that when I first bumped into him I'd never have needed to bother you at all. I think it was the shock of seeing him again – here of all places. Fell back into old habits, I guess.”

“I meant what I said,” he shrugged, “still the most entertainment I've had in years.”

Smiling at him, Luke reached for his drink. “You don't get out much, huh?”

“Not usually,” he admitted, “though been looking to change that, lately.”

“Does that have something to do with what Carol was talking about earlier?”

So he had picked up on that. “You could say that.”

“Time to make some changes in your life?” Luke asked perceptively. “I know all about that – that's part of the reason I really moved to Chicago.”

“Not just for work?”

“No,” he shook his head, “though I do think I can be more effective here. I love my family but there's so much baggage there. After Noah and...everything, I only really stayed for my siblings but after Faith – my sister – left literally the day she turned eighteen...well,” he admitted, “I understood it even if I didn't agree with it, because she and Mom had been clashing for years. But then...” he paused, remembering something. “She was so happy, you know? She was happier than I'd seen her in years – kinder, too. A better person. So,” he continued, “I finally found the courage to try putting myself first, too.”

Good for him. “And how's that working out for you?”

“Well, I'm currently having lunch with a really nice guy, so,” he grinned, making Reid smile a little too, “I'd say it's working out pretty well.”

Carol arrived then, carrying Mason's caesar salad. “Oh, shoot,” she said, “is he gone?”

“Fortunately,” Reid told her.

“You can leave that, if you want,” Luke offered. “Looks pretty good – we could split it as a side-salad.”

“Oh, no,” Carol shook her head, holding the dish away from him. “Trust me, you don't want to eat this.”

Reid knew it. “Is it a felony to deliberately contaminate someone's food?”

“Well as that surely didn't happen I couldn't possibly know the answer to that question,” she replied innocently. “I'll make sure you don't get charged for this,” she added, leaving before either of them could examine the salad closer.

“She must like you,” Luke told him after she'd gone, “to risk getting into trouble like that.”

“I'm a regular and I tip well.”

“Or she thinks you're a good guy,” he argued, “because I certainly do.”

Luke was easy to please, apparently. “You only say that because, next to Mason, anyone looks like a decent guy.”

“You make a fair point,” Luke conceded, “but if you're trying to tell me you're not a good person?” He shook his head. “Nah, I'm not convinced.”

“Just go ask anyone I've ever worked with,” Reid told him, “they'll tell you all about what an asshole I've been in the past.”

Studying him for a while, Luke spoke quietly. “I think it's more important how we treat people in the present.”

“So, what? I'm forgiven all my sins?”

“I'm not qualified enough to give an answer on that,” he said honestly, “all I do know is that you've been nice to me and Carol obviously likes you – she seems like a good judge of character.”

“Let's be honest, though,” Reid pointed out, “you don't really know me. We barely know each other at all.”

“Then let's change that,” he suggested. “We're both here, we're both going to eat – no reason why we can't keep doing that together even if we're not pretending to be a couple now. And that way,” he added with a small smile, “maybe we can get to know each other.”

Reid honestly didn't need any more convincing. He'd already decided that he liked the guy and – well. This was the kind of thing he'd been thinking about lately, right? Taking more chances, living outside of the rules he normally made for himself?

Decision made, he held out his hand. “Reid Oliver.”

Grinning, Luke shook his hand. “Luke Snyder. Pleased to meet you,” he added formally, before releasing his hand. “So, Reid Oliver,” he continued, settling further back against his seat, “tell me about yourself.”

*

Having exchanged numbers, they kept in contact in the days after their first encounter in the diner. It was always initiated by Luke – Reid had never been good at that kind of thing – but he did make an effort to respond. Meeting Luke had honestly been the most interesting thing to happen in his life in years.

Well, the most interesting good thing.

The fact that he apparently found Reid just as interesting was not something he was about to take lightly, so Reid made the effort. He didn't feel like he always got it right – it was difficult to get tone of voice right in text messages when you didn't use emojis – but Luke seemed to take everything in good humour, if the amount of times he sent that damn sticking-out-tongue emoji was anything to go by.

Four days later, Reid was on the sofa resting after work when his phone went off again – though it was the ringtone, this time.

Luke was calling.

Reid had already reached the point where just seeing Luke's name pop up on his phone made him smile. Shaking his head at himself, he nonetheless answered the phone.

“Hey.”

“Hey!” Luke greeted enthusiastically. “Sorry if I'm bothering you.”

“Don't be ridiculous.” Reid had made it plain at their meal the other day that he didn't do anything if he didn't want to – that included answering the phone to cute guys who'd admitted they were still working through some confidence issues. “Did you want something?”

Luke started teasing. “I can't call just to talk?”

“We've been 'talking' every day through text,” Reid explained his thinking. “If you're calling now, I know it's because you want something.” After all, he did know Luke a hell of a lot better already. “Come on – out with it.”

“Fine,” he grudgingly admitted. “I just don't want you to think that I'm only going to call when I want something – that I'm using you.”

That was a little dramatic – this was the first time Luke had ever called him, after all. “What is it?” he asked, half-jokingly. “Need me to be the best fake boyfriend ever, again?”

There was silence for a few moments, until... “...yes?”

Oh. “Wait, really?”

“But it's not like a need – more like a want,” he rushed to explain. “It's my mom,” Luke sighed. “Mason must still be in contact with Noah, because he told Noah about meeting us the other day and then Noah called my mom and then she called me...”

Wait a minute. “Your ex is friends with your mom?” He was sure it'd happened with people in the past, but surely only when your son actually still wanted anything to do with said ex – as was very much not the case with Luke, something he'd made abundantly clear at lunch the other day.

“Yep,” Luke sighed, and he really hadn't been exaggerating about needing to leave Oakdale. “She couldn't believe she hadn't even heard of you – never mind didn't get to meet you – before Mason and-”

“You want to prove to her that I'm real, too?”

“No,” Luke said, to Reid's surprise. “I want her to see that you make me so disgustingly happy that she'll never, even once, suggest ever again that Noah and I get back together.”

Reid chuckled. “I like it.”

“I want to rub our awesome relationship in her face,” he continued, not a little vindictively. “Because despite the fact that he cheated on me – and all the other things I explained that he put me through, over the years – Mom still somehow thinks we're 'meant to be'. Despite the fact that Noah doesn't want that. Despite the fact that I don't want that.” He huffed out a breath. “I figure that if anyone can make Noah pale in comparison, it's you.”

“Your certainty that I can bullshit awesome boyfriendness is reassuring.”

“It's not even that,” Luke replied with humour in his voice. “Just your...everything.”

“Everything?”

“Yeah, you know,” he explained. “Your sense of humour, impressive job, rocking hot bod,” he joked. Well, there was humour in it, but the way he said he kind of made it sound like he meant every single word. “Anyone would look bad next to you.”

Reid wasn't about to deny it – that was good for the old ego. “Well, when you have such faith in me, I can hardly say no.”

“Really?” Luke asked, excited. “That's amazing! Thank you so much, Reid. I know the mature thing to do would just be to say we can't make it-”

“Or even do something really radical and actually tell the truth.”

“Right,” he agreed. “But then I never claimed to be very mature. And my Mom...it's a bit like Mason. When it comes to the Noah stuff, at least, she just...gets to me. It's like she has these blinders on and she won't listen to a word I have to say. It drives me crazy.”

Reid could understand that. “Does sound frustrating.”

“Extremely.”

“So, what's the plan?” he asked. “We meet up with her some place, hold hands and suck face for a while and it's all good?”

“I don't know if going that far is completely necessary,” he answered, sounding amused, “but...well, how do you feel about a trip to Oakdale?”

Luke's suggestion, to make it more worthwhile for Reid, was to make a day of it. They'd have a short road trip together – apparently Oakdale was about two hours from Chicago – Reid would get to visit a place he'd never been before and Luke would spring for everything, gas included.

Honestly, Reid had already been sold at the 'let's pretend to be boyfriends again' portion of the conversation. He liked Luke, a lot, and while in the past he probably would've just slept with him and moved on, that wasn't what he wanted anymore.

Well, of course he wanted to sleep with Luke – but that wasn't happening for a variety of reasons.

But here, again, was a perfect opportunity to branch out from himself. Just being around Luke seemed to bring up new experiences and, for once in his life, Reid was revelling in it.

Luke insisted that as Reid was a doctor – and a very important one at that – they work around his schedule so after he shared his next few days off from work they agreed on one and Luke eagerly ended the call to give his mom the date, fully intending to tell her that if she really wanted to meet Reid, she'd have to make herself available.

That vindictive streak of Luke's was really quite something.

Reid made it through the next week or so of work well enough – staying in contact with Luke helped the time pass – and finally it was the morning of the day in question and Reid was waiting outside his apartment building for his ride. In the end they'd agreed on Luke driving as he already knew where he was going and taking two cars was unnecessary.

The weather was good today, so Reid just enjoyed the sun until an average-looking car pulled up at the curb, the window lowering to reveal Luke inside. “Hey, hot stuff,” he called out, “looking for a ride?”

Grinning despite himself, Reid got into the car. “You couldn't afford me.”

“I actually could,” Luke said, which – oh yeah. Right. He was loaded. “I got coffee,” he added, nodding towards the drink holders at the back of the gear shift between them.

“I take it all back,” Reid retorted, eagerly grabbing one of the cardboard cups, “if you have coffee, that's all the payment I need.”

“Cheap date,” he remarked, as he carefully pulled back out into the traffic – it was going to suck, for a while, but they'd wanted to get an early start and once they got out of Chicago itself it should be fine.

It was a little weird, for Reid, not being the one driving. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd been in the passenger seat of a car. He'd been in the back of cabs numerous times in recent memory, but actually being in the front and not driving was something his inner control freak was struggling with.

Telling himself to stop being an idiot – he'd conquered much worse – he tried to let the tension out of his body and just enjoy his drink. “So,” he began, in an attempt to distract himself, “tell me everything I need to know to play the devoted boyfriend.”

He already had some idea of the state of Luke's family from their previous interactions, but they should probably work out details – how they met, exactly how long they'd been together, how serious it was.

The discussion went on long enough that it was only when they were finally out of the city, driving along the freeway that it came to an end and Luke flicked the radio on, letting it play quietly. “I like the background noise.”

Reid shrugged. “It's your car.”

He soon regretting giving in so easily because when a particular song came on – Reid recognised it but had no idea who the artist was – Luke cranked the volume right up at the same time as he said, “I should warn you – I'm a terrible singer.”

“You're really going to-” And then Luke just started belting the song out along with the radio. “Of course you are.”

Reid side-eyed him, aghast, because he really hadn't been kidding – Luke had a truly awful singing voice – but he just kept singing regardless, even knowing he was bad. Honestly, he looked like he was having the time of his life and, in the end, it only made Reid smile.

Thankfully for Reid's ear drums, the radio – and Luke's – volume went back down after that song, though he sung along quietly to almost every song that came on afterwards. Reid didn't join in – sometimes he just didn't know the words, and he'd never been the type anyway – but if he found a song particularly catchy he drummed his fingers against his leg in time to the beat.

Most of the rest of the drive went that way – Luke bopping or singing along to whatever came on the radio, Reid quietly tapping next to him – but after they took the turn-off with the sign that read Oakdale, Luke finally turned the radio off and glanced over at him.

“Thanks.”

Reid had literally done nothing except sit there. “For what?”

“Not being an asshole.”

That'd come out of nowhere. “That's a matter of opinion.”

“Trust me,” Luke nodded wryly, “I know all about assholes. And you're not one.”

Fair enough. Even if he didn't really agree with him, he wasn't about to argue with Luke's expertise. He knew his ex had really done a number on him.

They drove in a comfortable silence after that, until they finally made it into Oakdale. “So, we'll be going to the farmhouse,” Luke told him, “instead of the town house. Grandma Emma's really eager to meet you, too,” he explained, “and, well...” Luke made an awkward face. “We ended up with two houses because Mom and Dad really have that on-again off-again thing down pat. They're back together at the moment and while Natalie and Ethan are both hoping it'll stick, this time, I don't know,” he admitted. “I only really realised after Noah left me that we were stuck in the same kind of pattern so while, at the time, I was devastated, retrospectively it was the nicest thing he ever did for me. He broke my heart so effectively I knew I'd never take him back.”

Luke said it almost proudly, like it was a good thing. And while, rationally, Reid knew it probably was – Luke never wanting anything else to do with that asshole ever again – the idea of anyone hurting Luke that badly infuriated him. “You know, as your Super Boyfriend, I would never do anything like that to you.”

“I know,” Luke grinned, “you're gonna sweep them off their feet.”

“Shouldn't I be doing that to you?”

“Oh, no problem there,” he teased, “that's already a done deal. Consider me officially swept.”

He was such a dork.

Reid liked him so much.

“Uh, speaking of impressing my family, though,” Luke added, glancing between Reid and the road, “we should probably talk about how convincing we want to be and what our limits are. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable, but I know you joked the other day about making out-”

“I wasn't joking.”

Luke looked like his brain had crashed for a good few moments before he was suddenly pulling over to the side of the road. They seemed to be in Oakdale-proper now, though it clearly wasn't where anyone was supposed to park.

“You know that's not a legal parking spa-”

“I don't care,” Luke said, cutting the engine and facing him. “You actually want to kiss me?”

“Why wouldn't I?” he explained rationally. “Luke, you're attractive, you're smart, I like spending time with you – I have no issue at all with playing the perfect boyfriend, whether that means holding hands or playing tonsil hockey for ten minutes. No footsie, though,” he felt compelled to add. “I draw the line at footsie.” Everyone should draw the line at footsie.

“No, but,” undoing his seatbelt, Luke shifted further around. “Is the wanting to kiss me thing something you'd only do because you're playing the perfect boyfriend, or because you actually want to kiss me?”

Reid shrugged. “Both, obviously.”

The transformation on Luke's face was something to see as he went from wary hopefulness to utter happiness in a split-second. “Well, good,” he admitted with a huge grin, “because I really want to kiss you, too. It's just that you keep helping me out so I was never sure if it was just you being nice or-”

“I am never nice.”

“That's a lie,” he shot back, gaze falling to Reid's mouth. “So is it okay if I kiss you now? You know, for research purposes. Have to make sure we look convincing.”

Reid had no problem with that, but would prefer they didn't do so under false pretences. “You know you're not convincing either one of us with that argument,” he said, even as he undid his own seat belt.

“That's not a no,” Luke pointed out, leaning in.

“No,” he grinned, “it's not.”

Unfortunately, their lips had only just met when there was a rapping at the window. Jerking apart, they both peered through Luke's window to see a man Reid unsurprisingly didn't recognise. Judging by Luke's face he certainly did, as he sighed and turned the key in the ignition, giving the car power so he could open the window.

“Jack,” he said darkly.

“Luke,” the guy grinned, leaning down to look further into the car. “imagine my surprise when I'm walking down the street and I see what I recognise as your car. I think to myself – that can't be Luke. He knows better, especially having a relative on the force. But no, it is you, and the reason you're parked illegally at all is, well,” he smirked across at the passenger seat, “you must be Reid.”

“My reputation precedes me.” Everyone really did know each other in this place.

“More like Mom told everyone you were coming,” Luke muttered.

“You know how she is, kid,” Jack said, commiserating a little. “Now, move this thing before I get someone to give you a ticket.”

“Thanks.” Reluctantly, Luke started the engine before eyeing Jack again. “You're going to tell Mom about this, aren't you?”

“Luke,” he sounded offended. “I wouldn't do that to you. I will, however,” he added with a grin, “definitely be telling your dad.”

Jack was still grinning when Luke pulled away from the curb.

“Seems like a nice guy,” Reid said non-committally, using every ounce of his willpower to hold back his own smile lest he be the next one confronted by Luke's glare.

“He is,” Luke admitted, “I just know this'll end up getting back to Mom and she'll be all judgemental and think you're a bad influence.”

Seriously? How twisted was Luke's mom? “First of all, showing affection to the guy you're meant to be in a relationship with is a good thing – does she expect you to be a eunuch? Secondly – and more importantly – so what?” Luke glanced across at him. “The whole point of this was to do it your way, right? Rub our awesome relationship in her face? Why does it even matter that we can't keep our hands off each other? If anything, it only adds to our authenticity.”

Luke had been looking more and more convinced as Reid went on. “You're right,” he nodded, grasping the steering wheel firmly. “That makes us look even more convincing.”

“Of course I'm right.”

Huffing out a laugh, Luke shook his head at him. “I just...don't like the idea of her thinking badly of you.”

That was so kind and considerate – and completely unnecessary. “I genuinely couldn't care less if your mom likes me or not. All that matters is that you do.”

Coming to a stop at a traffic light, Luke looked across at him fondly. “I do like you,” he said seriously, “and maybe, later, we could try that kissing thing again.”

He made it sound like they were eighth graders, but Reid was thoroughly charmed. Luke was at turns innocent and experienced, confused and then confident. Instead of giving him emotional whiplash, Reid found the combination fascinating. “I could be persuaded,” he assured with a tilt to his voice, staring at Luke until the other man flushed happily.

He knew, however, that if Luke ever wanted this to go anywhere other than kissing – relationship-wise or even just physically – they were going to have to have the conversation Reid was not looking forward to having.

For now, however, he just sat back in his seat and enjoyed the prospect of playing Luke Snyder's boyfriend for the rest of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

The long driveway made Reid realise just how much land the Snyder's owned. According to Luke, the Snyder's themselves hadn't always been rich – most of the money came from his mom's side of the family – but once his dad's horse training business took off they'd been able to more than look after themselves, even through his parents frequent break-ups and divorces.

Reid couldn't imagine how tough Luke had had to be, coping with that constantly going on throughout his childhood. It was no wonder he'd ended up with a crappy ex of his own if they were his prime example.

Finally, Luke pulled up in front of a comfortable looking house. It was decently-sized but didn't openly scream money. After the engine cut they both got out of the car and took a moment to look up at the house. Locking the car, Luke came to stand next to him, shoving his keys into the pockets of his pants. They'd both dressed up a little – Reid had never really been one for jeans anyway.

Luke's brow was furrowed with concern. “You're really sure about this?”

In response, Reid silently held out his hand.

Reassured, clearly relieved, Luke took it. Squeezing Reid's hand, he nodded firmly then announced, “Let's do this.”

He sounded like he was heading into battle. Maybe, for him, it was.

Their hands were still firmly clasped together when Luke led the way into the kitchen to reveal a woman standing next to a table, texting on her phone. Judging by her age, she was likely Luke's mom.

He was proven right when she finally noticed their entrance, putting her phone on the table as she rushed over to them.

“Sweetheart!” she exclaimed, pulling Luke into a hug. Luke didn't let go of Reid's hand, seemingly needing the strength, instead hugging her back one-handed. “It's so good to see you again.” Stepping back, she touched his shoulders and smiled lovingly. “I've missed you so much.”

Honestly, so far, she didn't seem too bad – but from what Reid had heard about her already, he knew there was more to come.

Finally glancing at Reid – and pointedly looking at their joined hands – she held out her own hand. “And you must be Reid.” She was a little more restrained – unsurprising, as he was a literal stranger who was, as far as she was concerned, currently banging her son.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Walsh.” Reid didn't think he'd ever said it was pleasure meeting anyone before in his life but he'd come here to play his part and excel in every single facet.

“Thank you,” she said tightly, releasing his hand before focusing back on her son. “You know, I just had a very interesting text from your father.”

Luke's face fell, though he tried to cover it up. “Really?”

“He said that Jack called him.”

He stopped feigning innocence. “Yeah,” he admitted, resigned, “he said he was going to.”

“I understand that young love,” she glanced at Reid as if questioning the young part of her statement, which – rude, “can be...overwhelming.” She said it with a smile, as if trying to soften the blow of her words, but she still kept saying them anyway. “But, maybe think about where you are, next time? Anyone could've been looking.”

Reid decided then and there that he was going to be coming at this from a different angle. Luke had ultimately agreed with Reid that it didn't matter if Lily liked him or not, as long as she was convinced that Luke liked him enough to never think about Noah again. Reid didn't need to impress her in the traditional sense, he just needed to impress upon her that he had Luke's back.

And that, he could do easily.

“So what?” he demanded, which made Lily look at him in surprise. “It was just a kiss – and an interrupted one, at that. Frankly, Jack was lucky that was all we were doing.”

“Reid,” Luke said, though he completely missed the disapproving tone he was going for and, though he was trying, really couldn't hold back the grin.

“Well of course there's nothing wrong with you kissing,” Lily insisted. “Wasn't I always supportive whenever you and Noah hugged in public?” She sounded like she was about to whip out a Pride flag.

“Of course you'd bring him up,” Luke muttered, grin vanishing. “Yes. Yes, Mom, you were always very supportive – instead of just acting like it was normal and not something that needed to be pointed out.”

Definitely some complicated history there. “Luke and I are just like anyone else,” he argued, though personally he thought their relationship was in a much healthier state than most people's considering it wasn't even real. “I'm sure you and Holden got caught sucking face plenty of times when you first got together.”

“And then some,” a new voice interrupted and they all turned to see an older lady stepping into the kitchen through a door which, as far as Reid could see before it swung shut, led upstairs. “Oh, the stories I could tell,” the woman said good-naturedly, walking towards them and extending her arms. “Let me see my grandson.”

Finally releasing Reid's hand, he rushed over to her. “Grandma,” he greeted warmly, falling easily into a hug which lasted much longer and seemed much more genuine than the one he'd shared with his mom earlier.

Drawing back, Luke's Grandma grabbed his upper arms. “Let me look at you.” She studied him closely. “Goodness, it's good to see you. While I understand that you have to go off and have your own life,” she said, “I do miss you.”

“I miss you too, Grandma,” Luke said sincerely.

Turning her attention to Reid, she released Luke's arms and smiled at him. “And this must be your Doctor Oliver.”

“I must be,” he agreed, shaking her hand. “And you must be Grandma Emma. I've heard nothing but good things – especially about your cooking.” Though Luke had a thorny relationship with his mother, it certainly didn't extend to everyone else in his family.

“Charming and a doctor,” she smiled, seemingly genuine. “Every Grandmother's dream,” Emma quipped, somehow innocently. “And mother's,” she continued, facing her quasi-daughter-in-law. “Isn't that right, Lily?”

“He's certainly nothing like Noah,” she agreed in the most back-handed of compliments. Geez, if she liked the guy so much, why didn't she date him?

“And thank goodness for that,” Emma pointed out, “after the way he treated Luke.” She looked at him apologetically but Luke just shook it off, clearly used to it.

“It's okay, Grandma,” he insisted, smiling over at Reid, “I know I'm much better off now.”

“I'm delighted to hear it.”

Lily's phone went off, then. Walking the few steps to the table, she picked it up. “It's the Lakeview,” she explained, “I have to take this.” Nodding at them, she lifted the phone to her ear and left the room.

“If it's work, she'll be on that thing forever,” Emma told them. “I've made a start on lunch, though it'll be a while yet.” That explained the mouth-watering smell coming from the oven. “Luke, why don't you show Reid around?”

“Sure thing, Grandma. Is Dad around?”

“Head out to the stables and you should find him. I know he'll be happy to see you.”

“Great, thanks.” Turning towards Reid, he indicated for him to follow. “Reid?”

The tour of the house didn't take long – seemed nice enough, and a good house to grow up in – though they did make a pit-stop in Luke's old room.

“It's Natalie's room now,” he said, which explained the teenage-girl-style decorating, “but I spent a lot of nights in this room.” Luke looked around the room nostalgically.

Moving next to the bed, Reid pressed firmly down on the mattress as if testing the sturdiness. “So not the same bed you had?” Luke shook his head. “That's a shame. I was hoping we could desecrate it,” he waggled his eyebrows, “and really screw with your mom's head.” They'd already agreed that once they entered the house, they wouldn't break character until they got back out of town, just in case someone was eavesdropping. According to Luke, in Oakdale that was a distinct possibility.

Laughing quietly, Luke looked like he knew he should've been appalled at the idea but really wasn't. “Thank you,” he said genuinely, which honestly came out of nowhere for Reid.

“For what?”

“Trying to make me laugh,” he explained, “trying to make me feel better. Just being here at all.”

While it was nice that Luke was appreciative and all, it was a no-brainer as far as Reid was concerned. “That's my job.”

Luke smiled softly. “Well, I hope it's a job you don't want to quit anytime soon.”

“I'll have you know that I'm famous across the medical field for my stubbornness and determination,” Reid told him proudly. “I never quit. Ever.”

Looking at him hopefully, Luke bit his lip. “Good.” Moving towards Reid he held his own hand out, this time. “C'mon. Let's go meet Dad.”

Reid let himself be tugged along, starting to talk playfully. “Is he going to shoot me?”

“No.” Luke's voice sounded like he thought Reid was being ridiculous, but he liked it anyway.

“But he owns a shotgun?”

“...yes?”

“And you didn't warn me about this before?”

“Trust me,” Luke said fondly, “it's not Dad you need to be worried about.”

Right. That'd be the ex-boyfriend-obsessed mother who plainly had a shedload of issues springing up from somewhere. “Wait, does that mean your mom's going to shoot me?”

“No one's going to shoot you,” Luke promised, still sounding exasperated and amused.

“Well, good. Can't have anything ruining my fine features.”

“Is that what they are?” he asked as he led Reid out of the house.

The day had turned out even better than the morning had promised and it was honestly just nice, walking in the sun, holding hands with Luke as they followed a dirt track. It was a bit of a hike but, eventually, they arrived at a paddock next to a set of stables. The man Reid assumed was Luke's dad was inside with a brown horse, and he seemed to be talking to it quietly as he carefully touched it's side.

“So what does your Dad do, exactly?” They watched him work from outside the fence on one side of the paddock.

Letting go of Reid's hand, Luke leant against the fence. “There are a number of different disciplines horse trainers can specialise in,” he explained, “things like show jumping, dressage. Dad, though,” he said proudly, “now that he can pick and choose clients, he takes the horses who've been traumatised and gets them to trust humans again.”

Reid had honestly never thought about that kind of job needing to exist before, but now that he had he decided it sounded worthwhile. “So he's The Horse Whisperer?”

“Kind of,” Luke nodded with a smile.

As they watched, Luke's dad gave the horse one last careful pat and then he just turned his back on the animal, heading straight across the paddock to where they were waiting.

Reid thought that was damn brave of him because even from where he was standing, that thing looked huge.

As he approached the smile on Holden's face only got bigger and bigger, and before long he was climbing over the fence to hug his son.

“Luke,” he said warmly, the two of them sharing a strong hug.

“Hey, Dad,” Luke replied happily. “How's she doing?” he nodded towards the horse, who was investigating something on the ground with her nose.

“Getting there,” he admitted, “though it's slow going. Reid, right?” he asked, turning to face him, holding out a hand. “Sorry about the,” he gestured to himself, and the dust he was covered in.

He shook his head. “No problem. Mr Snyder.”

“Holden, please,” he insisted, releasing Reid's hand. “Had quite the interesting phone call earlier.”

“We heard,” Luke said flatly. “Did you really have to tell Mom?”

“She would've found out eventually anyway,” Holden argued, “figured it was better to just get it out of the way.”

Shrugging, Luke at least looked like he knew that was the truth. “Speaking of you and Mom...you and Mom, huh?”

“Yeah,” Holden admitted, “we're trying again.” He took in Luke's wary expression. “You can't help who you love, son.”

“I know,” he agreed slowly. “And I want you both to be happy together, I really do, it's just these last few years, she's been...”

Different, Luke had told Reid privately. According to Luke his relationship with his mom had always been good – until he came out. Lily had struggled with coming to terms with her son's sexuality, had even – ludicrously – intended to send Luke to a straight camp, an idea so appalling Reid honestly didn't know how Luke had ever trusted her again. Luke had tried to explain there'd been mitigating circumstances – his birth father who was, apparently, an expert at manipulating people – and that things had gotten much better, after that. She was like her old self again.

Until Luke and Noah had split and suddenly she'd started being weird again.

“I know,” Holden said, “and I've told her that's something we need to work on – she needs to work on. If she can't support you regardless of who you're dating, then this is never going to work.”

“Might wanna remind her of that,” Reid told him before he could stop himself – then realised he wouldn't have even if he could have.

“Right,” Dad muttered.

“I mean to be fair,” Luke said, “my reaction wasn't the greatest either. But it was barely a kiss, Dad, and she acted like it was something people would be scandalised about.”

“Honestly, if anything it should be the opposite.” When they both frowned at him, Reid explained. “You're hot, I'm hot. If anything we should have put up a sign and charged admission.”

Luke grinned – which was the goal – and even Holden smiled some. “Reid...”

He just kept going. “Would help us both save up for that day we no longer have our devastating good looks and have to get by on something else other than our amazing faces.”

“You mean like your medical degree?” Luke asked. “Or my foundation?”

“Right,” he agreed easily, “where are they ever gonna get us?”

Luke shook his head. “You are so silly.”

“And you love it.”

“I do,” he agreed.

“Well,” Holden announced, who Reid had kind of forgotten was there for a moment, “I should get Elsa in and cooled off. And then I'll go into the house and – try to get your mother to cool off,” he added, regarding Luke wryly.

“Thanks, Dad,” Luke said appreciatively and then they both watched Holden climb over the fence and slowly walk back towards the horse.

Luke took him over to the stables, after that. There was one other horse stabled there at the moment, but Luke went nowhere near it. “We stay away from the horses,” he said, like he was repeating something he'd heard a million times before and probably had, “because they're usually scared of people.”

Sounded like a wise policy – for them and the horses.

The barn, however, was fair game. There were no animals anywhere in sight and they could explore freely. Standing on the floor, Reid whistled as he looked up and turned in a circle. “Something tells me you had more than your fair share of fantasies about this place when you were a teenager.”

“Horny and convinced no one would look twice at me? Of course I did.”

“If you remember any details,” Reid encouraged, giving up his view of the barn to take in the much better view of one Luke Snyder, “feel extremely free to share. Maybe we could do some re-enacting,” he suggested, “finally get some of that desecrating done.”

Smiling as he walked towards him, Luke nonetheless regarded him strangely. “What is it with you and desecrating things?”

“Not a believer in organised religion.” Honestly, he thought most people were just kidding themselves, trying to find some meaning in life and looking for reassurance that there was anything waiting for them after they died. “So, come on. Barn fantasies from your teenagerhood? I won't judge. Much,” he added, lips quirking up.

“Okay,” Luke gave in, “you are totally going to make fun of me, though.” He kept talking anyway. “This was where my parents met. Well, not this barn specifically – that one was on Grandma Lucinda's property. But this was how they met – in a barn. Mom was the rich girl, Dad was the poor stable boy.”

“Has all the makings of a great romance,” Reid remarked. “That, or a cheap porno.”

“Thanks,” Luke said flatly, though there was still some amusement behind it. “Anyway, as kids it was sold to us a lot as this really romantic thing, and when I got old enough...” He sighed. “I know, I know, it's kind of twisted because it's my own parents but it's not like I ever thought about them actually having sex or anything in the barn, it was more...”

“Conceptual?”

“I like that,” Luke nodded before moving on. “I had some extremely vivid fantasies going on about meeting my own stable boy. Or sometimes,” he shrugged awkwardly, “I was the stable boy.”

This was very, very interesting indeed. Reid stepped closer. “What did you imagine happening?”

“There was never any plot, or anything-”

“Like most porn,” Reid pointed out, making them both grin even if Luke's face was a little flushed.

He carried on gamely, though, not looking away from Reid's gaze. “A random hot guy would be there, for no real reason. He'd see me and I'd be so amazingly handsome he wouldn't be able to help himself. It's silly, I know,” he continued, finally glancing away.

Reid didn't like at all, instinctively reaching out, gently touching Luke's chin until they were looking at each other again. “There's nothing wrong with fantasies. Sometimes it's a much-needed escape, sometimes it's because our life's in the position where, right then, we can't have anything else but fantasies. It's healthy,” he insisted, “and nothing to be ashamed of.”

Blinking, swallowing slowly, Luke stared back at him. “I want to kiss you.”

He just nodded. “You can do that.”

Luke still kept staring at him, for a while. Reid just let him, letting Luke have total control. Eventually, smiling faintly, Luke's gaze finally fell to Reid's mouth and he leaned in until their mouths met.

Reid hadn't done this for a while, but it was good. Luke knew what he was doing, that was for sure, pressing closer as he deepened the kiss. Their bodies pressed together, hands in hair or on shoulders as they pulled each other closer still and Reid found he was losing himself in it, for once experiencing that cliché about how he didn't know where he ended and Luke began. They were just one big mass of emotion – desire and want, hope and need – and, tragically, Reid knew he should put an end to it before this went any further.

“We need to talk,” he gasped when he broke away, though his willpower was currently non-existent as Luke tugged him straight back in for another kiss.

“About what?” he asked fervently and this time it was Reid who kissed him again.

“Oh!” a female voice interrupted. Sadly and slowly pulling away from each other, they turned to see Lily staring at them – or rather, at the space around them, instead of looking at them directly. “I was looking for Holden, I'll just...” Gesturing back the way she'd just come, she fled.

“Great,” Luke said, trying to sound annoyed, but Reid didn't think anything was about to wipe the grin off his face – and honestly, he felt just the same.

“Hey, at least she thinks I'm keeping you satisfied in the sack.”

“Something tells me you would,” Luke said boldly, eyes falling to Reid's mouth again.

Yeah. Right. “Let's get through today,” he suggested, “and we can talk about that in a lot more detail.”

“Looking forward to it,” he grinned, leaning in for another brief, if passionate, kiss. “We should head in soon, anyway,” he announced afterwards, “probably won't be long until lunch is ready.”

Reid could only imagine how much fun that was going to be, especially after what Lily had just seen.

He wasn't even being sarcastic – he really was looking forward to, as Luke put it, rubbing it in her face. “Very well, Mr Snyder. Lead the way.”

“Always,” Luke joked, grabbing Reid's hand once more and, for once in his life, Reid was actually happy to be guided.

He thought this might actually work, an idea that both reassured and terrified him. Based on their interactions so far, he was pretty sure Luke wouldn't freak out or be a dick about it when Reid told him, but there was really no way to be sure. Reid had never been in this position before. He could only hope that, when the time came, Luke handled this part of Reid as well as he had every other part of him.

*

According to Emma, lunch would be about another half hour. She turned down any offer of help and as Lily and Holden were currently nowhere in sight, Reid thought longingly of the chess set he'd noticed in the family room.

“Come on,” he suggested, “let me show you, once again, how this game should be played.” They'd never actually played chess before at all, of course – he was pretty sure he'd never even mentioned chess to Luke.

“That's going to be so much fun,” Luke played along, “watching you kick my butt again.” Moving the board into the kitchen they sat at the table there so they could be a little more comfortable, though they chose to sit next to each other instead of the more traditional option.

As it turned out, Luke did know how to play chess himself – though of course compared to Reid, he might as well have never played before. “No,” Reid said when he saw Luke reaching for one piece. “Not that one either.” Luke's frustrated hand went for yet another. “If you do that I'll have check-mate within-”

Staring at him, Luke's face was a mixture of amusement and annoyance. “What did I say about letting me make my own mistakes?”

Nothing, of course, but Reid played his part. “You're right, of course. If you insist on making it easy for me, far be it from me to try and stop you.”

“Are you really that good at chess, Reid?” Emma asked from the kitchen.

“Extremely,” he said matter-of-factly, placing another chess piece that was further setting Luke up for failure. “Used to play semi-professionally.”

“Really?” Emma asked, sounding impressed. Luke looked surprised too, and Reid was glad he got to tell Luke this under the guise of telling his grandmother.

“When I was a kid,” he explained, holding Luke's gaze. “Now I just play for fun.” He hadn't had anyone else to play chess with in a long time and he definitely liked the idea of butting heads with Luke over a chessboard for the foreseeable future.

“Your parents must have been very proud of you.”

Luke already knew about his folks – Reid had mentioned it in passing at that first meal together – and looked across at him, not with sympathy exactly, but definitely with understanding.

“They were.”

“And they must still be so proud of you now,” Emma went on. Luke still kept looking at him, reaching an arm across the table to touch Reid's hand. “A doctor – and head of department, wasn't it? And you're so young to be in such a position.”

“Grandmother,” Luke said in warning.

Shaking his head, Reid turned his hand over to squeeze Luke's hand in return before turning to face Luke's confused grandmother. “Thank you, Emma. I'm sure they would be, but my parents died when I was fifteen.”

“Oh.” Horrified, Emma wiped her hands on a towel and stepped out from behind the kitchen counter. “I'm so sorry to hear that, Reid. Do you have much other family?”

“No,” he shook his head, before conceding, “well, I think my uncle's still kicking around somewhere, but trust me when I say he's a waste of space.” He genuinely hoped he never saw Angus again.

“Oh.” She stood there for a moment but never got awkward about it the way some people did. “Well,” she announced easily, “not that I'd ever try to replace your parents, but at least you have us now.”

Surprised, he turned back to look at Luke, who was smiling at him reassuringly. “I get your family as part of this deal?”

“Of course,” he offered, “that's how this relationship stuff works.”

He never would've expected it but Reid found he actually liked the idea of that – not just dating Luke, but having access to his family, too. Well, apart from... “Can I pass on your mom?”

“You...” Luke began disapprovingly but it quickly dissolved into quiet laughter. Seemingly unable to help himself, Luke leant over and gave him a peck on the mouth. “If I have to deal with her, you have to deal with her. Them's the rules.”

“Okay, fine,” Reid gave in. He was pretty sure that if you were intending to do this kind of thing the right way, you should face your problems together anyway. “I suppose getting your Grandma and your dad as part of the deal makes up for it. And you know,” he shrugged, “you're all right too.”

“'All right',” Luke mimicked with a grin.

“Passable,” he offered, barely holding back his own.

“Please, Dr Oliver,” Luke encouraged, “regale me with more tales of just how average I am.”

“Well, Mr Snyder,” he said gamely, “you're definitely in the top one hundred of the best-looking guys I've ever seen.”

“Okay, now you're paying for that one,” he insisted playfully, “my pride has been wounded, deeply, by that remark.”

“Let me fix that for you,” Reid offered, placing a hand on the back of Luke's neck and pulling his smiling face in for a kiss.

“Oh, my,” Emma said quietly and how did Luke keep doing that? Make Reid forget that there was anyone else in the room? Not that he particularly cared that anyone was watching – and right now Luke didn't seem to care either, if the way he ended the kiss and kept his face close to Reid's, smiling stupidly at him, was any indication.

Reid was pretty sure he was smiling stupidly himself. Even a year ago – hell, six months – he probably would've been disgusted with himself at being so damn sappy. Now it just felt so damn good that Reid didn't give a crap.

He knew that Luke was it, the chance he'd been waiting for. He just hoped he could make it work and had every intention of giving it his best shot.

Of course, that was the moment Lily appeared from upstairs, noticeably pausing when she saw what they were doing. Turning to glance at Holden behind her, they shared a look and then she set her shoulders, facing the rest of the room again. “Let's get the table ready for lunch, shall we?”

Turning back to look at each other, Luke and Reid shrugged. At least she was trying.

Clearing the chess set away, Reid put everything back where he'd found it in the family room. Not knowing where anything was kept he stood between the kitchen and the dinner table, waiting to pass items between the two.

Within a few minutes they had the table set – plates, silverware and glasses on display. A few minutes later Emma started passing dishes of food out, each of which was placed carefully at the strategically placed gaps between the plates on the table. They obviously had this down to an art-form.

“Everything smells amazing, Luke's Grandma,” he said honestly, “you really went all out.”

“Reid, please call me Emma,” she insisted, “and...well, when we have a guest as important as you, it's only right that we make that kind of effort.”

Actually a little shaken by that, Reid tried to cover it by fiddling with some silverware on the table. He didn't get away with it, because of course Luke noticed.

“You should see your face right now,” he teased.

Reid glanced over at him. “Apart from being devastatingly attractive, what about it?”

“You actually look flustered. I didn't think that was possible.”

Reid tried to ignore the fact that Luke's parents were watching closely. “Just not used to people being that nice and...sincere without wanting something in return, that's all.” Reid was more than used to people thinking he was important in a professional setting, but being considered important just for being Reid?

That never happened.

Losing his humour, Luke instead stepped around the table until he was close enough to touch Reid's arm. “Hey,” he said seriously, holding Reid's gaze, “we'll fix that.”

He swallowed – or tried to. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Luke nodded.

“Oh, absolutely,” Emma encouraged, who until then had at least done them the courtesy of pretending as if she wasn't listening, unlike Luke's parents. “I promise you, Reid, visit us here enough times and before you know it you'll have heard so many compliments your head won't fit out the door.”

Reid was willing to bet Lily would have something to say about that.

Instead, Holden started cheerfully complaining. “How come I don't get compliments every time I see you, Momma?”

“We see each other every day, sweetheart,” she pointed out, “you've had more than your fair share of compliments.”

Reid was still honestly – and surprisingly – a little freaked out, so didn't look at anyone and made his excuses. “I'll just wash my hands before dinner,” he announced and then fled from the room.

He wasn't surprised when Luke was barely ten seconds behind him. Not really needing or wanting to make use of the washroom, he hovered in the hallway instead, taking in Luke's concerned face.

“Hey,” he asked, watching Reid carefully. “You okay?”

“Just not used to...” he trailed off, knowing he'd have to try and do this right, “...relationships in general,” he admitted. “And while most of it has actually been pretty easy – mostly just common sense – I'm still not used to being...that open. In front of so many people.” The kissing and defending Luke – that crap was easy. Dealing with heartfelt sincerity was something else.

“You know you don't have to be,” Luke said seriously. “We can keep that kind of stuff just between us if it's making you uncomfortable.”

“But I should probably try and get used to it, right?” he asked rhetorically. “If we want this to really go somewhere...”

Pressing his lips tightly together, Luke looked like that was the only thing stopping him from bursting with happiness. “If that's what you want.”

“If that's what we want,” he argued, because that was kind of the point.

And Luke was hugging him, suddenly. “God, Reid, you've been so amazing,” he said urgently, “I can't tell you how much it's meant to me. In just a few hours you've been more fun and more supportive than...he ever was,” he finished, drawing away. “Honestly,” he said firmly, “at this point I really don't care about convincing Mom of anything anymore, because I've already realised what's really important.” He looked at Reid knowingly, apparently – amazingly – talking about him. “If this is making you uncomfortable we'll say something came up and just go.”

There was no way in hell – Reid was seeing this through to the end, especially after the nice little confidence boost Luke's reaction had just given him. “I'm not doing that to your Grandma,” Reid told him, not after all the effort she'd gone to. “Or my stomach. I've heard amazing things about this food of hers – I'm not missing out.”

“Right,” Luke said dryly, “because it's all about your stomach.”

“That it is,” he nodded, “so let's get this show on the road. Time's a-wasting that could be filling my stomach with food.”

Back at the dinner table, no one said anything at all about their absence, instead just waiting behind their chairs. Trying not to feel guilty for making them wait, Reid muttered an apology. Emma brushed it aside and invited everyone to finally sit down.

Reid waited, at first, unsure of their family traditions – but there was no saying of grace or anything. Once they sat down, everyone just started helping themselves to food so Reid joined in. He ended up raving about Emma's food, of course, which really was delicious. From the flush on her face she enjoyed the attention immensely.

There was some general small talk – Lily and Holden both talked a little about work – but then the focus turned to him.

“So, Reid,” Lily began a little awkwardly, but trying nonetheless, “Luke tells us you're Head of Neurology, at...Chicago General, wasn't it?”

“That's right.”

“That's quite an accomplishment at your age.”

“It is,” he agreed.

She paused, for a moment, probably not appreciating his ego. “Did you always want to be a doctor?”

“As far back as I can remember,” he replied honestly. “I don't even know why, the idea was just always there. When other kids reached that age where they'd joke about wanting to play doctor, I literally wanted to play doctor. I had my own stethoscope and everything.”

“I bet you were a cute kid,” Luke said fondly.

That was practically cursing, in Reid's opinion. “I was never cute.”

“Oh, I'm sure that's not true,” Emma voiced. “Do you still have any photographs or anything, from...before?”

“I still have a couple of photo albums.” Despite Angus' best efforts at being an asshole, Reid had managed to hold on to them. It was all he really had of his parents, now.

“I'd like to see them, sometime,” she said carefully, “that is, if you wouldn't mind.”

Reid was quiet for a moment, thinking about it. “I'll try and remember to bring them,” he told her eventually, “next time we visit.”

Emma nodded in satisfaction as Luke continued the conversation. “I never knew what I wanted to do,” he admitted, scrunching his face up. “There were a couple of years when I was a teenager where I thought I was going to be a writer.”

“That's right, you won that award,” Lily remembered.

Luke nodded. “But I never felt...a calling, you know? I used to get so frustrated,” he told Reid. “It always seemed like everyone around me already had their lives figured out, knew what they wanted to do.”

“Not that I want to minimise your struggle,” Reid said carefully, “but look at the work you do now, Luke. It's – remarkable. You've dedicated your life to making the world a less terrifying place for confused young kids, so they hopefully never have to go through what you did. You should be proud of yourself. I know I am.”

Tipping his head down, Luke's entire face had flushed pink.

“He's right, son,” Holden said proudly. “Maybe it took you a while to figure out what to do with your life – which is more common than you'd think,” he added. “But you could've done anything with that money Damian gave you and instead you used it as a force for good. To help others.” He regarded him closely. “I'll admit, I wasn't happy when I first heard you were taking his money.” From what Luke had said, Holden and Damian really didn't get on. “But what you've done with it since? I couldn't be prouder.”

It was a very Hallmark movie moment – which Lily utterly ruined.

Smiling along with her very happy family, she ruined it all by saying, “Noah always knew what he wanted to do, too,” she told Reid, “just like you.”

Reid literally could've heard a pin drop as, one by one, they all turned to stare at her in disbelief. He'd been joking when he'd thought earlier that if she liked Noah so much maybe she should date him herself, but maybe she really did have a thing for her boyfriend's ex.

Eww.

Lily at least seemed to finally read the room, happy expression falling as she glanced around at their faces. “Look, Noah was his only other real boyfriend. It's only natural I'm going to compare them.”

She might've had a point, if she didn't also have the history of championing Noah's very few positive qualities. Still, it could've been worse – at least she hadn't used it as an opportunity to show how much better than Reid Noah was.

“So, Holden,” Reid said quickly, moving the conversation on, “how long have you been training horses?”

As Holden latched gratefully onto the new topic and ran with it, Reid placed a hand on Luke's leg under the table. Shooting him a small, grateful smile, Luke quietly shifted his chair a little closer.

Holden went on for quite some times about horses and wasn't completely boring. Eventually, though, he turned it around and asked his own question. “How did the two of you meet? If you don't mind my asking.”

Glancing at each other they shared a grin, already having the story down pat.

“It was at work, actually,” he began. “Luke had come to the hospital to meet with some of our board members.”

“I wanted to propose that the hospital and foundation work together to support LGBT kids going through medical treatment at the hospital.”

“We bumped into each other – literally. I was an enormous ass about it-”

“Finally, he admits it!”

Reid smirked, loving how in-sync they were even when they were bullshitting. “Anyway, it didn't take me long to realise just how hot the guy I was yelling at was, and I offered to apologise with coffee. In my defense,” he added, “I'd been having a really bad day.”

“You must have those a lot,” Luke teased.

Everyone at the table was smiling, so they must've bought the story, at least.

Sadly, it was a little predictable what came next.

“Luke and Noah met at work, too,” Lily piped up, “well, kind of. They were working at WOAK for-”

“Oh my God, Mom,” Luke snapped, which at least saved Reid the trouble. “How many times? Noah and I are never getting back together. He dumped me, remember? And hell, even if he did want me back – which he doesn't – I'd never want him back in a million years. I'm not going back to be treated that way. Even before I met Reid and knew how much better things could be,” glancing at Reid, he covered the hand resting on his leg with his own, “I'd realised just how bad Noah was for me.”

“Lily, we talked about this – numerous times,” Holden sighed. “You have to let him live his own life – or eventually, we'll have no relationship with him at all.”

“Even if I think he's making a horrible mistake?”

Rude.

“Even if,” Holden insisted. “Not that I think he is,” he rushed to add, looking over at the two of them. “But even if he was, you express your concerns and then move on – he's an adult and it's his life.”

“I've been trying, Holden,” she swore, sounding more deluded with each passing moment, “but it's so difficult. They keep...kissing, everywhere. Noah was never like that – he was a good, respectful boy who knew that that kind of thing should be kept in the bedroom.”

Reid was finally starting to realise what her problem might actually be – and from Luke's reaction, so was he.

“Wait – is that what this is about?” He shook his head, turning to look at Reid. “Noah was never big on public displays of affection – there'd be the occasional public-appropriate kiss, but it was usually hugs. And as for our sex life, well...” Looking a little embarrassed, he faced his mother. “But you knew that. Because I told you, so many times, how concerned I was that Noah never wanted to have sex with me. That it rarely happened and half the time it felt like we were just friends instead of boyfriends.”

Lily didn't even deny it. “I was...comfortable, with Noah. And I just...don't like how different from him Reid is.”

“That's a good thing!” Luke exclaimed, his obvious anger and frustration driving him. “I told you, so many times, the many reasons Noah and I didn't work, how humiliated I was that he left me for his advisor and everyone in town knew it, how it shattered my self-confidence that he never wanted to sleep with me but fucked Mason the first chance he got.” No one even reacted to the cursing – Reid knew he certainly thought it was justified. “But it wasn't just the big stuff, Mom,” he went on. “It was the every day, little stuff, too. I could never sing in the car, you know that?” he asked rhetorically, and suddenly his reaction on their journey there made a lot more sense. “My singing voice has never been the greatest,” he said openly, “and Noah basically banned me from singing in the car – said that it made his ears bleed. I told him to shut up the first time, assuming he was joking. But then he kept saying it. And saying it – and eventually I started listening,” he said like it was logical, “because you hear something so many times you believe it and I didn't want to drive him away. But I should have, I know that now,” he nodded firmly, mostly at himself. “I should've driven him away long before he left me.”

Luke was honestly incredible and Reid felt even more aware of his own short-comings in comparison.

“I know all of that, sweetheart,” Lily assured him, “and logically I know everything you told me. But when I see you and Reid kissing each other like that...”

What the fresh hell had gone on in her mind? “So you're just fine with your kid being gay,” he said with wonder, “as long as you don't have to think about the actual sex part of being gay.”

“He's my little boy,” she said disturbingly, eyes wet. “I can't bear to think about him that way.”

“So it's still homophobia, after all this time,” Luke muttered, shaking his head. “That's really what you want for me? For me to be stuck in a loveless, sexless relationship? Unbelievable.”

“Lily,” Emma announced, getting to her feet. “I think you need to leave this table. And I also think,” she added firmly, “that you need some help.”


	3. Chapter 3

The Best Fake Boyfriend Ever, Part 3  
by Suz

Also posted on AO3 [here]().

*

“We should go,” Luke announced, pushing his chair back after Lily had left, head down low. Reid started moving, planning on backing him up when Emma forestalled any further movement.

“The two of you aren't going anywhere,” she insisted. “This is my house and, as far as I'm concerned, if Lily can't deal with her issues she's the one who needs to leave. Holden?” she asked, looking at her son.

Nodding, he stood, face serious. “I'll go talk to her. Make it clear that, unless she gets help, she's not welcome here anymore.”

Luke looked conflicted. “You don't have to do that, Dad.”

“No, I do, son,” he said immediately. “I thought the way she was about Noah was something she'd just get over, eventually, and I apologise for not taking it more seriously. There's obviously some much deeper issues at play, here. You stay,” he suggested, “enjoy a good meal with Momma. I'll deal with...” Letting his voice trail off, he shook his head sadly and walked away.

It was fair to say there was no saving lunch after that, though Emma certainly tried. Mostly, Luke just played with his food silently until asking randomly, “What are we going to tell Grandmother?”

Reid could only assume he was talking about Lily's mother, as nothing else made sense.

“We'll work it out, Luke,” Emma assured him, then resumed her attempts to cheer them up. After some ten minutes of telling stories about Luke's youth, she even had them smiling a little. They'd all pretty much lost their appetites though, and when Emma saw how Reid kept shooting worried looks towards Luke, declared that she'd give them some privacy. Leaving the table, she told them not to worry about the dishes.

They cleared up together anyway, quiet and sombre, when Luke finally spoke about it again. 

“I'm so sorry that you had to be there to see all that,” to told Reid, clutching an empty glass against his chest. “Nothing like a meal with the Snyder's to brighten you day,” he joked, though there was no real humour in it and it fell completely flat.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Reid promised. “I'm worried about you because I care about you, but mostly I'm impressed with the way you stood up to your mom.”

“It was long past time coming,” Luke confessed, putting the glass back down on the table. “We'd spoken about the Noah thing before so many times, but I never really realised...” He shook his head. “I feel kind of guilty about it, to be honest.”

“What are you talking about?” Luke had been the one who'd done absolutely nothing wrong.

“I thought it was just Mom being...difficult,” he explained. “But the things she said today, the way she said them...that's not normal.” His face and voice both turned emotional as he started looking more and more horrified at himself. “What if, all this time, she just needed help and I was too angry at her to see it?”

“Hey,” Reid said softly, quickly moving over to him, “you did nothing wrong.” Touching the side of Luke's face, he carefully turned his head until he could meet his gaze. “This is not on you,” he said seriously, willing Luke to believe it. “Maybe she does need to talk to someone,” he offered, “maybe there's some kind of medication she should be on. Maybe it's neither of those things,” Reid shrugged, though he was willing to bet therapy would help Lily a lot. “Either way, it is absolutely not your fault and I won't allow you blame yourself for something beyond your control.”

“Won't allow me?” Luke managed a smile, albeit with wet eyes.

“Not to sound like a controlling jerk,” Reid nodded, releasing Luke's face as he realised how it sounded. “But you're only allowed to think good things about yourself. And I'm afraid I have to insist – it's in the boyfriend contract.”

Luke regarded him dubiously. “I didn't sign any contract.”

“Ah, but I did,” he said, “and as we're currently dating I'm afraid the contract is binding for both of us.”

“That hardly seems fair.”

“Them's the breaks,” he drawled. “Now,” he continued, seeing that his antics were cheering Luke up, “subsection two, paragraph four clearly states that I should go on, at length, about how amazing I find you and how glad I am that I get to be your boyfriend.”

“Which sounds great and all,” Luke grinned, “but how do I know you're not just going to be saying this stuff because the contract forces you to?”

Reid hadn't thought of that, though he felt he recovered nicely. “You only sign the contract in the first place if you already agree with everything in it.”

“Oh, I see,” Luke said casually. “And, just like nobody else on the face of the planet, you actually read all the small print?”

“Of course,” he replied, sounding horrified that anyone would even dream of not reading every single word. “I take my boyfriendly duties very seriously. And I mean every single word about how glad I am that I get to be said boyfriend,” he added firmly. “Even if it was in some crazy universe where it was only for one day, I wouldn't regret a moment of it.”

Luke blinked back at him emotionally. “Even with all the family drama?”

“Even with,” he nodded.

“Well, then,” Luke said eventually, “I'm extremely glad that we're not in some crazy universe where it's only for one day, because I really like the idea of you sticking around for the foreseeable future.”

“That can definitely be arranged,” Reid agreed more than happily and it was the most natural thing in the world to give Luke a kiss. It wasn't about passion or want – it was reassurance and affection. Reid wanted to be there and he wasn't planning on going anywhere – for as long as Luke wanted him.

They decided to leave not long after. Despite Emma's – and their own – best efforts, the day was ruined and, right then, Luke didn't feel up to facing his mother again. Reid offered to go in search of the rest of his family, though, and found Emma, Holden and Lily in the main bedroom upstairs, in the middle of what looked like an intense conversation.

“Luke wants to speak to you,” he said to Holden, when they all turned around and stared at him – Lily rather more intensely than the others.

Fortunately she stayed where she was, though as Holden and Emma made to leave the room, she suddenly spoke. “Don't tell Mother,” she begged, seeming embarrassed. “Please?”

The rest of them shared a heavy look.

Back by the dinner table, Holden told his son about the request. “What do you want to do? As far as I'm concerned it's about you, so I'm happy to follow your lead on this.”

Luke didn't seem happy about being the one to make the choice, but after struggling with the decision for a while, made the choice anyway. “Grandma's overseas at the moment anyway – and I know this deal she's working on is important to her. At the very least I say we leave it until she comes back – and I'll tell her it was my decision,” he added firmly. “Honestly, having her looking over Mom's shoulder is probably the last thing Mom needs right now anyway. Whatever it is she's going through or dealing with...” he shrugged. “The last thing she needs is more stress.” When Holden nodded in acknowledgement, Luke sighed and moved in to hug his dad. “Keep me updated?”

“Of course,” he promised. “I just hope this is something that can be fixed.”

“You and me both,” he replied seriously.

“Reid,” Holden held out a hand. “Thank you. For being there for him.”

“That's not something you need to thank me for,” he said, but shook the hand.

When it was her turn, Emma gave them both huge hugs. “Your mother doesn't speak for the rest of us.”

“I know that, Grandma.”

“Good,” she said, sounding relieved. “And you, young man,” she told Reid, “just keep doing what you're doing.”

That was easy. “I intend to.”

She gave them a tub of cookies for the road – truly, best Grandma ever – and then they were climbing into the car and driving out of Oakdale.

Though Luke put the radio back on there was no singing, this time, and it made Reid a little sad. There wasn't much in the way of conversation, either – Reid knew for himself that he was still a little shell-shocked and was only now really processing everything that'd happened. It was likely the same for Luke.

Reid also kept thinking about the conversation he knew he had to have to Luke. He was certain, now, that Luke would be okay with it, but that still didn't mean he was looking forward to it. He couldn't imagine anyone enjoyed talking about this kind of thing.

The journey passed quickly, with so much to think about, and some two hours later Luke pulled up outside Reid's apartment building.

“Well,” he announced, killing the engine, “that was some day.”

“It certainly was.”

“Again, I'm sorry for-”

“No apology necessary,” he shook his head. “And that's the whole point anyway, right? Going through this stuff together?”

Luke stared at him. “You're still serious about that? About this being a...real thing?”

Reid just stared back. “Completely.” However... “There's some stuff we should talk about, but given the day you've had if you want to save it for another time-”

“No way in hell,” Luke argued. “I'm in this as much as you are, okay? If we need to talk about something,” he nodded, “then let's talk about it.”

Letting out a long breath, Reid swallowed. “Let's go upstairs.”

Grabbing the cookies from the back seat they got into the building, rode in the elevator and walked into Reid's apartment. Luke made the polite remarks about Reid's apartment – it was really nothing special, he'd never been one for interior decorating – while Reid stashed the cookies in the kitchen and offered Luke some water.

It was Luke who snapped first.

“Oh my God, can you just tell me already?” he pleaded. “You've been hinting at something for a while and I thought you just needed some time but I really like you and now it's freaking me out. If you're about to tell me you're a serial killer, I swear to God...”

Laughing quietly at Luke's ridiculousness – although based on some of the things Luke had told him about Oakdale, it probably wasn't that ridiculous – Reid decided to just get it over with. “Nearly five months ago now,” he began. He could do this. “I was diagnosed with cancer.”

Judging by the wild expression on his face, Luke really hadn't been expecting that. “What?” he asked, eyes wide, walking straight over to Reid. “Where?” he demanded, looking over Reid's body for some sign. “How bad? Do you still have it?”

“Slow it down, cowboy,” Reid urged, though appreciated how concerned Luke was, and set about answering each of Luke's questions in turn. “It was testicular cancer,” he explained. “They don't think it's spread anywhere else. It's too early for them to officially announce I'm in remission but...things are looking good.”

Blinking heavily a few times, Luke grabbed his hand, leading Reid over to the sofa and tugged him down next to him. “Tell me everything,” he ordered, in a tone of voice that warned he was not about to be denied.

Shrugging, Reid did as he was told.

He told Luke about finding the lump, one day. About the ultrasound. About having his testicle removed and opting not to get a fake one. Finding out that it was cancerous and the brief, shitty course of radiation. Having to take endless cabs to and from the hospital because he'd tried driving, once, when the effects started hitting him and he'd never made that mistake again.

Luke regarded him emotionally. “Was anyone there for you?”

He chuckled. “I wasn't the type of guy people wanted to be there for,” he said honestly. “I've told you before, I was an asshole – still am, sometimes. I never had much in the way of friends and I had no real family left.”

Luke shifted. “But the cancer changed things?”

“Much as I hate to admit it, it turns out I am just like everyone else after all. I went through the whole clichéd thing about getting a whole new perspective on life and realised...I don't want to be alone.” It still wasn't easy for him, talking about this stuff, but after what he'd seen Luke put himself through today he'd have felt ashamed at himself if he didn't even try. “I'd been selfish my entire life,” he admitted, “but in all the wrong ways. I took whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But I never once thought about what I needed.”

“And what is it you need?” Luke asked, eyes moist.

“To not do it alone,” he managed to say around the lump in his throat. “When my parents died and then the way my uncle was...” Reid shook his head. “I told myself that I'd never need anyone else again, that I could it all alone – and I can,” he said honestly, knowing it was the truth. “But I just don't want to anymore. I just...” Reid shrugged. “I just didn't know how to go about it. All my relationships before had basically just been about sex, about getting my physical needs met – work was the only thing I ever really cared about. The cancer changed that,” he finished, finally.

Luke stared at him in wonder. “That's why you order something different from the menu every time.”

“It felt like my whole life I'd been living the same routine,” he admitted, “I figured...at least that was a starting place. And then, one day,” he smiled faintly at Luke, “this guy sat at my table, asking for help.” Luke smiled back. “And I knew, even that first day, there was something special about him. It felt right, even when we were faking it.”

Studying him for a while, Luke eventually nodded. “I meant everything I said to you today,” he told Reid honestly, “and I still mean it.”

“Even with the cancer?” he had to offer, giving Luke the out. “It could come back.”

“If you can cope with my family drama, cancer's nothing in comparison,” he joked, before turning serious. “You were right, what you said. It feels...right, and I've honestly never felt that way before. I don't think it's something we should just give up on.”

Hope flared inside Reid's chest. “I'll screw it up, from time to time.” This was really all new to him.

“I probably will, too,” Luke agreed. “I think...all we can really do is keep being honest. That way, even if it doesn't work out, at least we won't end up hating each other. The last thing in the world I want is to ever feel about you the way I feel about Noah.”

“I'd never do that to you,” he swore without even thinking, but then Luke's earlier words sunk in. Speaking of being honest... “There's something else you need to know. Before this...really starts.” Based on the kind of man Luke was he didn't think it'd be a deal breaker, but he had a right to know.

Luke studied him seriously. “What is it?”

It was the first time he'd told anyone this, aside from his doctor. It wasn't fun. “Since the operation – the radiation,” he started, licking his lips. He needed to just say it. “I haven't been able to get hard. At all.”

Luke's brow was furrowed, for a few moments, until it clicked what Reid was talking about. “Oh.” His face was a picture, though he tried to cover it. “ _Oh_. Well, uh, I'm sure that happens to a lot of guys in your situation, right?”

Exactly what his doctor had said. “All the time. You can imagine how much I liked being compared to 'most guys'.” Smiling briefly, Luke squeezed his hand. “My body's been through a trauma,” Reid explained matter-of-factly, “and needed time to recover.”

“Makes total sense,” Luke nodded reassuringly.

“But, uh,” yeah, he really wasn't enjoying this, “in cases similar to mine, most guys would've seen some...return to a previous level of service by now,” he joked. “But there's no spark of life. Trust me,” he assured Luke, “I've tried.” Multiple times, with consistently frustrating results.

Not seeming concerned, Luke listened attentively. “What does your doctor say?”

“He thinks it's largely psychosomatic at this point and should fix itself with time.” Reid certainly hadn't loved that idea that his own brain was stopping him from getting off.

“Well you said that dealing with cancer had made you face a lot of the issues in your life, issues about yourself, right? Maybe this is another part of that and, as you keep giving yourself what you really need, it'll fix itself.”

Man, he hoped so. “It's just nicely ironic, that's all.”

“What do you mean?”

“There your mom was today, freaking out because she thought we were constantly screwing on every available surface. Meanwhile, I can't even...” he gestured to his lap, frustrated. “I never knew how to do relationships but I always knew how to do sex. Now I can't even do that.”

“It doesn't matter,” Luke said, speaking again when Reid snorted. “Not to me, anyway. Look, I'm not about to lie and say I don't have my own issues when it comes to sex, because I do. I never felt...good enough, before. For him.”

“That's because he's an idiot.” Reid had never even met the guy and he hated him already.

Luke smiled gratefully. “But despite what Mom thinks, you're not the only guy I've been with since. I've casually dated a few guys since things ended with Noah and that – helped. A lot. I never told Mom about it because I knew she'd just bring up Noah again, but...” he shrugged. “They wanted me. They enjoyed having sex with me – and I enjoyed having sex with them. I do still struggle with it, sometimes,” he confessed, “because I was with Noah for a long time. But I also had a lot of time to think since him, too,” he explained, “and as much as I want to have sex with you, it's not the only part of a relationship that matters. I think honesty and supporting each other are far more important. One day, your problem might fix itself – or it might not. Either way, I'd still like to give this a shot.”

Reid honestly didn't know what he'd done to deserve Luke Snyder. “So we're really doing this?”

Luke grinned hugely and Reid realised he was smiling himself. “We really are,” he said, squeezing Reid's hand one more time. “Now the real question – do we ever tell anyone the truth about how we really met?”

“Not anytime soon,” he urged, “think of the stories we can tell the grandkids. We'll be the stuff of legend.”

“Oh my God,” Luke said in wonder, “I'm imagining you as a grandparent and it's amazing.” He paused. “Or terrible.”

“I'd be a great grandparent,” he sniffed. “Okay, so not really – I'd get them hyped up on sugar and then send them back to their parents, just because.”

“Well, one of their parents would be your child, so they probably deserve it.”

“Hey, they'd be your kid too!”

Grinning, Luke leaned into him. “I know we're only joking around, but it should probably worry me how much I genuinely like the idea already.”

Reid honestly felt the same. “Never saw myself having kids,” he admitted anyway, “and couldn't even donate sperm, these days.” He cast a baleful look at his groin. “But let's not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Right.”

“Have to see if we even really work, yet.”

“Of course,” Luke agreed.

Reid eyed him. “You totally have our kids named picked out already, don't you?”

“To be fair,” Luke said, which wasn't a denial, “I had the names for my future kids picked out before I ever met you.”

“Ah,” he said, “so I'm just incidental to this future child-having.”

“Exactly,” Luke teased. “Now, why don't we get comfortable,” he shifted about on the sofa, “and I can tell you all about Prince and Princella.”

Even knowing Luke was messing with him, Reid couldn't hold back the wince. “Please, Luke, don't do that to them – they're only children.”

“Fine,” Luke sighed heavily. “What names do you suggest instead?”

“Well,” he began too-eagerly, “whether it's a boy or a girl, I've always been partial to Reid Jr...”

*

Dating Luke was honestly almost exactly the same as pretending to date Luke. Luke didn't act any differently at all to the way he had before, whether he'd been alone with Reid or in front of his family. Luke was just...Luke. There was no artifice.

Which was ironic, considering how they'd met.

The really surprising thing – which probably shouldn't have been surprising at all – was just how much fun it was. The two times they'd pretended to be dating had been greatly entertaining, despite the drama that'd resulted, and dating Luke for real turned out to be just as much fun. They made fun of each other, constantly, but it was always driven by fondness, a way to show their feelings by saying just the opposite of what they really meant. Honestly, that made things less challenging for Reid, because though Luke made the idea of being in relationship easier than he ever thought it would be, Reid still felt he came up short when it came to the mushy stuff. He'd never really said romantic crap in his life and he still struggled with saying any of it without feeling like a fake. Being able to joke about it, knowing that Luke knew what he really meant, made it a little easier during those times he wanted to be genuine – because Luke deserved that as well.

And Luke really did deserve it because the guy was...something else. Kind and thoughtful, always thinking about what Reid needed. Funny and touching, always making Reid smile. And he could also be an enormous asshole, which Reid almost appreciated more than anything else. It made it more real, somehow, knowing that Luke wasn't perfect. He could be one hell of a drama queen. Arguments were rare, but when they did happen Luke was so intense it was as if Reid had insulted his very soul.

It was kind of terrifying.

Also hot.

Reid may have been currently out of action, but he still knew a hot guy when he saw one, and Luke definitely qualified. Their physical relationship hadn't progressed much beyond kissing, for obvious reasons. Still, despite the fact that Luke insisted it wasn't an issue he clearly had a healthy sexual appetite, as evidenced by the way he'd get hard every time they ended up in a heavy duty make-out session (Reid still enjoyed the physical intimacy, even without orgasms involved). Luke always backed off, or laughed about it, saying he'd take care of it himself later, despite Reid's offers to help him out. After a solid three nights in a row of this, however, Reid refused to let Luke get away with it anymore.

Deciding to get hands on – literally – the moment Luke started inevitably backing off, he announced, “I want to blow you.”

Frozen, his unmistakeably-hard cock still very much pressed against Reid, Luke licked his lips. “It doesn't feel...fair,” he explained carefully, “when you can't-”

“Screw fair,” Reid said, “life doesn't work that way. And this is a relationship, right? That means we help each other out because it's the right thing to do – not just because we're getting something in return. And I really, really,” he rocked against Luke, making him hiss, “want to help you out. I wanna see what you look like when you come,” he added and that finally did the trick, as Luke's eyes darkened and he rubbed up against him.

“Well, if you absolutely insist...”

“Oh,” Reid assured him, “I do.”

They were both grinning when Reid slid off of him, moving to kneel by the sofa. Shifting his own position, Luke swung around until he was sitting on the sofa properly. Slouching down to make access a little easier for Reid, he eagerly started reaching for his zipper, but Reid got there first.

“I got this,” he smirked and soon he had Luke's cock in his hand and the grin was most definitely gone from Luke's face.

“Jesus,” he muttered.

“Not quite,” Reid retorted, then bent over to get to work.

And, while honestly, Reid did miss the lack of a physical reaction his body would've had normally, he realised just how satisfying it could be giving your sexual partner that much pleasure. For once unable to think about his own sexual needs, he focused entirely on Luke's. He'd always made sure his previous lovers had come, but he hadn't cared much about their needs beyond that. With Luke he found he was giving him his undivided attention and it was a lot more rewarding than he'd ever expected it to be.

Getting to hear Luke's reactions – how he initially tried to restrain himself but, with Reid's encouragement, verbalised every groan and grunt that wanted to come out of him – was honestly almost addictive and Reid wanted to hear more of it.

A lot more of it.

Sadly, he couldn't see absolutely everything – his mouth very obviously busy, head over Luke's lap much of the time – but he still caught enough glimpses of Luke's other reactions. Knowing that he was the one responsible for just how much Luke was feeling – eyes squeezed tightly shut, head rolled back, hips thrusting up helplessly towards Reid's mouth, hands desperately clinging onto Reid's head – well, it genuinely brought him a lot of satisfaction and he knew that without a doubt, in the old days at least, he would've gotten hard himself in no time at all.

In the end, by the time Luke finally came, Reid certainly wasn't hard but he did think he felt something – briefly. For a few seconds. Barely anything, really, but certainly more than he'd experienced since the cancer.

It was something, he supposed.

“That was...” Luke panted, boneless, as Reid slid up to sit next to him on the sofa. “Wow,” he finished, lazily reaching out a hand to tug Reid in close, tasting himself on Reid's mouth. “Thank you so much,” he said after releasing him, which only made Reid laugh quietly, because who the hell was so sincere about getting a blowjob?

“No need to thank me,” he told him, “I enjoyed every second of it.”

Luke smiled happily. “What about...?” he gestured towards Reid's groin. “Anything?”

“Not really.”

“Not really?” he perked up, sitting up straighter. “So you felt something?”

“A little something,” he conceded. “Maybe.” Honestly, it'd been such a small reaction he was beginning to wonder if he'd imagined the whole thing.

Smiling at him encouragingly, Luke pointed out, “A little something's better than no something.”

“What we really want is a large something,” Reid shot back, winking at him.

“Well, speaking of a large something,” because apparently Luke was determined, “do you want me to return the favour? See if anything...” he waggled his eyebrows, “...comes up?”

“Okay, you are banned from the dick jokes.”

“Oh, so you're the only one allowed to make dick jokes in this relationship?” Luke asked, sounding offended. “I see how it is.”

They shared a smile at their ridiculous sense of humour, before Reid got to the truth. “I just don't want you to try and get disappointed when it doesn't work.” He all too-vividly remembered what Luke had told him before, about how Noah had always made him feel like he wasn't desirable. “It's not that I don't find you attractive – God Luke, you have to know how hot I find you,” he said intensely. “It's just that my body isn't working the way it should right now.”

“I know that,” Luke said seriously, seeming to mean it. “And if it's stressing you out then I won't do anything, because God knows that won't help the situation either. But anytime – anytime at all – you want me to try something, anything...you just say the word, okay?”

“Okay,” he nodded, more than happy to agree to that. It was a smart move not to force himself into trying anything with Luke just yet – he was still so frustrated at his own body that it'd likely be a recipe for disaster. He was more than happy to keep meeting Luke's sexual needs and hopefully, with time, that minor reaction he'd had would turn into something major.

Their relationship wasn't just about sex, though – or the lack thereof. They didn't spend every evening together – though it was rapidly moving close to that, he realised – and their first few evenings out after officially starting dating had been typical dating stuff. Restaurants, the movies once. They both soon discovered that they actually preferred staying in, just the two of them – though Luke would still insist they go out at least once a week, claiming it wasn't healthy staying locked away.

Still, they ended up spending most of the week locked away and – much to Reid's surprise – actually spent most of that time at Luke's place. It was a little bigger than Reid's and definitely felt more welcoming – Luke had obviously inherited that gene for interior design that Reid had missed out on.

After that, it wasn't unexpected that the first time they shared a bed it happened at Luke's place. Luke had been a little hesitant and embarrassed about asking him to stay over – which was adorable, when he'd had Luke's cock down his throat not thirty minutes earlier.

“I was wondering,” he began carefully, “if you'd like to stay over tonight.”

It was the logical next step, Reid knew. In any other situation they would've already been fucking, which more naturally led to bed-sharing so technically they were missing out on that part of the relationship.

Reid didn't like the idea of missing out on anything with Luke. “Sure,” he shrugged. “I'd like that.” It was easy enough to get to the hospital from Luke's place, too.

“Good,” Luke said, grinning in relief. “Because we haven't done that much hugging, and I really want to get my cuddle on.”

Uh...okay? “Wait, cuddling?”

His grin faltered. “Are you not a cuddler?”

They'd done a lot of groping and rubbing against each other, and Luke pressed up against him when they watched TV, but nothing he'd specifically classify as cuddling. “I don't know?”

Luke regarded him seriously. “When was the last time you cuddled with someone?”

Definitely not in recent memory. “When I was a kid?” Honestly, as far as Reid was concerned, cuddling with someone was something you only did as a kid – he certainly hadn't done it with any of his previous lovers. They'd pretty much all been of the 'come and then go' variety.

“That's it,” Luke announced, sounding horrified, “you are definitely sleeping over so we can spend the whole night cuddling.”

He was so determined and so certain that Reid could only smile and said he'd give it a try. “For the record, though,” he had to point out, “the word cuddle – or some variation thereof – was just said entirely too many times for two grown men.”

“Just wait,” Luke informed him knowingly, “you, too, will learn to love the cuddle.”

He was right, of course.

Reid had seriously found it strange, at first, lying in bed with a guy he was attracted to, knowing there was going to be no sex involved. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself – and felt ridiculous for not knowing what to do with himself. Reid had blown through most of his life on his medical expertise and bravado but that did him no good, here, when all Luke wanted to do was hold him.

This was ridiculous. He was being ridiculous. Cuddling was just like hugging, right? He hadn't done a lot of that, either, but he knew how it worked.

“Man, you are tense,” Luke muttered next to him, shifting around.

He almost said that he'd had a hard day at work, rather than deal with the issue, then remembered it was Luke he was in bed with and he couldn't do that to him. “I may be overthinking this. Because I'm not...used to it.”

Luke froze for a moment. “Okay,” he began, “what can I do to help?”

If his damn cock had been working, he would've suggested sex. “Distract me?” How ridiculous, that he couldn't even just lay there and let himself be happy. “Just keep talking,” he pleaded. “About anything.”

Luke didn't hesitate, immediately launching into a story. “Did I ever tell you about the best thing that ever happened to me?” he began, an arm still wrapped around Reid. “I was out for lunch one day – by myself, I'd been too busy with work to really make any friends in the area yet – when I bumped into the jerk-off who stole my boyfriend...”

Reid was starting to relax already, now that he knew the story was going just where he thought it was. “And you saw this amazingly hot guy?”

“I saw a guy,” Luke confirmed, which made Reid elbow him and Luke chuckle. “I'd seen him there a few times before, actually,” he admitted, which was a surprise to Reid. “I did secretly think he was hot,” he stage whispered, “and I knew he always tipped well so I figured he was an okay guy and he'd help me out.”

Reid liked getting this different perspective on their first meeting. A lot. “And did he?”

“In more ways than I ever though possible,” Luke said genuinely, which was one of those times he went a lot sappier than Reid was comfortable with but still somehow made him feel good about himself.

Pressing right up against him now, Luke turned until he could look Reid in the eye. “I know it's hard for you to hear,” this didn't sound good, “but you're amazing, Reid. From day one you've been there when I've needed you – whether it was a rescue from Mason, or the days when I'm stressing about my Mom. And even if you weren't amazing – which you are – you deserve this, okay? You deserve to cuddle and be happy and just enjoy it because, honestly, I think physical touch is such an important part of our lives but we get so wrapped up in everything else that's going on that we forget to be good to ourselves. Be good to yourself, okay?” he finished, touching the side of Reid's face.

“You mean,” he was actually finding it hard to speak and all because of some freaking cuddling, “give myself what I really need?”

“Like you said,” Luke agreed warmly. “And you can have anything,” he swore, “anything I can give you is yours.”

Reid swallowed. That sounded serious and he took it the way it was meant. Luke could be intense, but then so were his own feelings for him. “Just you,” he admitted finally because honestly, he knew already how well they fit together. Reid had never believed in the idea of someone having a 'true love' or 'perfect match' – life didn't work that way, and it certainly wasn't that sappy. If anything, life liked to screw people over.

But he'd certainly never met anyone as perfect him for as Luke, either. He may have shown up in Reid's life at just the right moment, at the time in his life when he was finally open to the idea of having a relationship with someone, but that certainly wasn't the reason they were together. It'd made things a little easier getting there, sure, but Reid was honestly starting to believe that even if they'd met some other way, they would've ended up together anyway. Luke was just stubborn enough and funny enough to have cracked through all of Reid's carefully constructed defenses and he honestly couldn't picture anyone else ever succeeding.

“Is that all?” Luke asked. “That's easy.”

“It's all I need,” Reid shrugged.

“Then it's a done deal,” he said firmly. “Now, c'mere,” he ordered, snuggling up against him, shifting his hold, “and appreciate the wonder that is the cuddle.”

At that point, Reid couldn't have resisted even if he wanted to. Despite the strength of his feelings for the man holding him, Reid could feel how ready his body was to relax completely. He was so warm and so comfortable – and Luke felt so damn good next to him – that he let out a long, heavy breath, let his body relax, and finally closed his eyes.

Cuddling really was awesome.


	4. Chapter 4

Nearly a month into their relationship and Reid honestly felt like he'd known Luke for years – in a good way. He was starting to get used to the cuddling thing – even initiating it himself, sometimes, on the days when a patient hadn't made it. Luke had only asked him what'd happened the first time and on the few occasions since then, just knew to hold Reid quietly.

Their lives fit so well together and they fit together so comfortably there was rarely any awkwardness between them – even when it came to sex. Reid still hadn't gotten hard, not completely, though as they grew closer and their sex life advanced he'd definitely started feeling the occasional touch of arousal and had felt some signs of life in the damn thing.

Luke fucking himself on Reid's fingers had been particularly memorable, and the closest he'd come yet to actually getting hard. Luke had been overjoyed at first – but had had to temper his reaction pretty quickly when it'd become clear that Reid's erection had decided not to fully realise itself.

Still...

“Progress, right?” Luke told him after, who not once had judged him or made him feel like any less of a man.

Reid knew all that 'you're only a real man if you can fuck someone' stuff was bullshit anyway, but Luke's reaction helped nonetheless. “Progress,” he agreed, and leaned in to kiss him.

As their sex life progressed, so did the rest of their lives. Luke was still frequently in contact with his dad – had even had a couple of brief, strange phone calls with his mom. She was seeing a therapist, who thought it was best – for the time being at least – that she not have a lot of contact with Luke. Not yet, anyway.

Reid was honestly kind of grateful. He'd been there each time Luke had spoken to his mom and he always got upset and guilty afterwards, asking himself why he hadn't noticed and placing all the blame firmly on himself. Reid hated it, told him to stop feeling sorry for himself, and cuddled him aggressively for an hour.

Smiling against Reid's neck afterwards, Luke had said a quiet thank you.

As the weeks passed, Reid had come to see just how much Luke's job meant to him – and just how hard he worked. Though he didn't spend all evening on it, he brought something from work home almost every single night – sometimes a project that he wanted to keep hashing out, sometimes just his frustration that he couldn't get something done fast enough to help.

One day he came home with take out and a pad of paper, and they sat on the sofa spit balling everything they'd do need to do to make the foundation working with the hospital a reality. Reid already knew all the board members, even if they weren't his biggest fans, but at least he knew their weaknesses.

They ended up getting into a healthy debate about the importance of healthcare versus emotional support, which of course resulted in kissing and shirts coming off.

“Never gonna get any work done at this point,” Luke gasped out between kisses.

“Shame,” Reid muttered, not meaning it, because as Luke rocked down against him, he was actually enjoying the delicious, delicious friction and was even maybe starting to-

Luke's phone went off.

They both froze, more than aware that Reid had been starting to get hard.

Luke blinked down at him as the phone kept ringing. “We could ignore it,” he suggested.

Unfortunately, Little Reid had already gone back into hiding. “Better answer it,” he sighed. “I don't think he's coming back out to play anytime soon.”

Regretful, Luke rolled off of him and reached for his phone. He was still shirtless, though, so Reid just remained sprawled where he was and enjoyed the view.

“Hey, Dad,” Luke greeted as Reid stared at his shoulders. Said shoulders tensed almost immediately, as Luke said, “Shit.” Followed by a wince and, “Sorry, Dad.”

Intrigued, Reid sat up and watched attentively as Luke listened for a few more seconds, before thanking his dad and hanging up. Throwing himself back down onto the sofa he leant against Reid, looking grumpy.

“What's up?”

“Grandma's back,” he explained, “and she's not happy. She's just been at the farm, so she'll probably be here in a couple of hours.”

She was coming straight to Luke? “At least your dad gave you a heads up. Better than her turning up out of nowhere, right?”

“True,” he conceded. “I knew this would come,” he sighed, “that I'd have to face the consequences of my actions. I just...hoped I wouldn't,” he grinned wryly.

“You did what you did because you thought it would help your mom,” Reid argued. “If Lucinda's anything like the woman you've told me about, she'll see that. Didn't you say they used to have a difficult relationship themselves?”

“When Mom was younger, yeah,” Luke nodded. “They can both be so strong willed.”

“Gee, I wonder where you get that from,” Reid asked, making Luke roll his eyes. “Come on,” he continued, pulling Luke up to his feet, taking in the papers and empty food containers spread around. “Let's get this cleared up and then I should probably get a shirt on. Make myself presentable to meet your grandma,” he quipped.

“You've got nothing to worry about,” Luke promised. “She'll love you – trust me. If anything it's me she's going to be angry at.”

Reid wouldn't bet on it – or that if she was really angry, she wouldn't stay that way for long. Luke had already told him how close they were.

After clearing up the mess, Reid took a quick shower. Giving his dick a perfunctory wash, he decided against trying to jerk off right then and just set about cleaning the rest of his body.

He found Luke distracting himself by re-ordering the contents of the dishwasher for the third time. Making a face, Reid dragged him back to the sofa, turned the TV on, and held him there until he started to relax.

Neither one of them said anything, but when the tension finally went out of Luke's body and he relaxed back against him, Reid quietly pressed the sides of their heads together.

When Lucinda inevitably arrived, they looked at each other for a few moments. “You got this,” he told Luke, who nodded firmly and went to buzz her in.

When the door finally swung open, they were greeted by a severe-looking woman who immediately regarded Luke with an arched eyebrow. “I've spoken to your father,” she announced. “He explained to me why you all did what you did.”

“Okay,” Luke said carefully, still holding on to the door.

“But she's my daughter, Luke,” Lucinda said bluntly. “I had a right to know.”

“She's an adult,” he said back, just as firmly. “And she asked us not to tell you.”

She just kept staring at him. “Her...issues were affecting you directly, and you're still putting her needs first? You are something else, young man.” Sighing, she held out her arms, “Come here.”

Relieved, all the tension that had returned to Luke's body fled as he threw himself into her arms. “I was so worried.”

“Oh, don't be ridiculous,” she told him, holding tight. “There's nothing you could ever do that'd make me really angry at you. Now,” stepping back, she nodded at Reid, “let's sit down and you can tell me about everything – including your new man.” Looking away from him, she followed Luke into the apartment. “Don't think I'm letting you off the hook for not telling me about him sooner.”

Closing the door, Luke offered to take her jacket and then gestured towards the sofa. “You've been overseas for months.”

“I have a phone,” she argued, as Reid moved into the kitchen to get her a glass of water.

“To be honest,” Luke admitted, tucking her jacket over his arm, “it's still kind of new. We hadn't been dating long at all when we visited the farm and everything...happened.” Hanging up the jacket, he joined her on the sofa.

Studying her grandson for a while, she then happily accepted the glass of water Reid offered her. “Thank you,” she said politely, then quickly lowered it to the coffee table and held his gaze. “Were you here when Holden called earlier?”

“You know about that?” Luke asked.

“It hardly takes a genius to work out what his first move would've been,” she told him, then faced Reid again. “Go on. Answer the question.”

Was this a trick question? He definitely felt like he was being judged. “Yes.”

“And you stayed?” she asked rhetorically. “I like you.” Lucinda held out a hand. “Reid, isn't it?”

“Reid Oliver,” he confirmed, shaking her hand.

“And you are a doctor?”

“A neurologist.”

“Excellent,” she announced, clearly pleased. “Luke, hold on to this one. He's already a vast improvement over those other young men you've been dallying around with lately.”

“You make it sound like I've been sleeping with half of Chicago,” Luke muttered, face flushing.

“I don't judge,” she said easily, “I just know a good thing when I see it.”

“Flattered as I am,” Reid remarked, “how is it that we've only just met and you think I'm a 'good thing'? Is it just because I'm a doctor?”

“Hardly,” she shot back. “Lily's...behaviour didn't scare you off. You've stuck around for Luke now. I know everything I need to know. Plus,” she admitted, “I'm a practical woman, and you being a doctor also doesn't hurt.”

Luke shook his head.

They talked about their relationship a little bit more, then about the work she'd been doing overseas. Inevitably, of course, the conversation had to come back around to Lily.

“Did you see her?” Luke asked.

“I arrived back in Oakdale early this afternoon,” she nodded. “I stopped by to see Lily at work – she told me herself what'd happened and that she was...getting help.”

Reid could only imagine how that conversation had gone.

Luke looked at her hopefully. “Do you think it's working?”

“I hope so,” she shrugged, “but I really don't know. She seemed...normal,” she winced, like she knew that was the wrong word. “But then she seemed normal before all this – a little too focused on Noah, perhaps, but I didn't think...” Lucinda took a moment. “How did I miss this, Luke? She's my daughter. I know I've never been the most nurturing of mothers, but...”

“You're a great mom,” Luke insisted.

Lucinda regarded him fondly, touching his face briefly. “You only say that because of how close we are, because of who I am now. But, in my younger days...” she shook her head. “I wasn't always there for Lily the way I should've been. And she certainly didn't get this ridiculous notion in her head from me – but it had to come from somewhere. How did I miss that?”

As far as Reid knew, Lily had had no official diagnosis of anything and had no idea if she ever would – but as a doctor he knew that diagnoses didn't always solve everything anyway. “As a doctor who specialises in the brain – and the nervous system,” he felt compelled to add, “in my expert opinion I can honestly say that sometimes the brain just doesn't make any sense. Sometimes it's obvious how people are influenced – through other people they know, something they saw on television or online, an experience they went through. Sometimes there is some...defect in the brain that makes people act the way they shouldn't. And sometimes,” he continued, “it's not that simple. Sometimes it's not any one thing. Sometimes there's not any real explanation.”

Lucinda did not look amused. “Well that's not very useful.”

“It's not meant to be,” he said honestly, “but one of the first things you have to learn as a doctor is that not everything can be explained – or fixed.” Reid hadn't liked that himself at all, of course, but it was one of the aspects of being a doctor that even he had had to come to terms with. “Obviously, I'm hoping that's not the case with Luke's mom,” he nodded at Luke, who nodded back at him grimly, “but it's sadly the reality of many situations, and we need to be aware of it.”

Seeming annoyed, Lucinda reached for her glass of water, taking a healthy gulp.

She visited for a few hours in the end, the conversation thankfully taking a less stressful turn. Mostly she and Luke got caught up on each other's lives, though she did grill Reid from time to time.

Ultimately, he decided he liked her – though that probably had something to do with how much she liked Luke.

It was late, when she left and though Luke offered her his bed, she insisted on staying in a hotel, intending to go back to Oakdale the next day. Giving Luke another hug – and Reid another hearty handshake – she bid them both goodnight and left the apartment.

The two of them just stared at the apartment door for a while.

Luke spoke. “You staying over tonight?”

“Yeah,” he said, around a yawn.

Nodding, Luke nudged him. “You should start leaving more of your stuff here.”

Turning to face him, Reid managed a tired smile. “Yeah,” he said – one because it made sense, but also because he liked the idea. Giving Luke a languid, sloppy kiss, he started guiding him towards the bedroom. “C'mon,” he encouraged, “I've got plans for your bed and they're not sexy ones.”

“You know how to show a guy a good time,” Luke teased gently.

They both got ready for bed – brushing their teeth, taking a leak – and then snuggled up together in bed, completely naked.

“I like your grandma,” he said into Luke's shoulder.

“She likes you too,” he murmured. “I like you too.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said softly, burrowing in close. He was so warm, but not too warm and he found it comforting and relaxing. “It'd really suck if we didn't feel the same way about each other.”

“Mmm,” Luke hummed in agreement. “That'll never happen. We're gonna be together forever.”

That was optimistic. “You think?”

“Definitely. Abso-” he yawned, “-lutely. I'm not letting you go anywhere.”

“That works out well, then,” he agreed, “because I don't want to go anywhere.”

“See?” Luke asked. “It all works out. Together forever,” he promised and it said a lot about how Reid felt that he didn't find it creepy or feel trapped.

He just felt exactly the same way and looked forward to the long, warm night of cuddling ahead. “Night.”

“Night,” he murmured, snuggling against him, “don't let the bed bugs...”

He never finished the sentence, so Reid just smiled and closed his eyes.

*

On a Thursday they had dinner at the diner where they first met.

“Ah,” Luke announced dramatically as they stepped inside, “memories.” Then he turned and gave Reid a dorky grin. He tried to look unimpressed but couldn't quite manage it.

It was a seat-yourself kind of place and they even managed to grab Reid's favourite booth, the same booth he'd been sitting at the first time Luke had ever walked up to him.

“It's fate,” Luke declared, as he slid in across from him.

“More like you hip-checked that pensioner out of the way.”

“She was totally going for that other booth and you know it.”

It wasn't a surprise to discover that Carol was their waitress. “Well, looky-here,” she said as she strolled up to them, “it's been a few weeks, Reid. Something been keeping you,” Carol glanced over at Luke, “busy?”

“Extremely busy,” Reid confirmed, which just made Carol shoot a fist up in the air in joy.

“I knew it!” she crowed, before confiding in Luke that, “Darlene owes me twenty. She didn't think you had it in you, Reid,” she told him. “I, however,” she added smugly, “knew better. So, what do you boys want to drink?”

Once drinks were ordered, they both looked over the menu when Luke remembered something.

“Are you still doing that thing where you order the next thing on the menu?”

“Figured I'd keep doing it,” he confirmed. “I mean, it's worked out so far.”

“How's that?”

“Well, it's only because I'd decided to expand my boundaries that I didn't tell you to get lost the first time we met. Seems like I'm on to a good thing – I should probably stick with it.”

Looking at him fondly for a moment, Luke then nodded. “Trying something different is probably a good thing,” he agreed. “I know we both like our evenings at home a lot, but how about when we do go out, we go some place we've never been before?”

“Like a different restaurant?”

“Or a museum, or art gallery.” Reid made a face. “I know, I know, that's not your thing. I'm just giving ideas.”

“If you want to go to an art gallery, we'll go,” Reid insisted.

“That's not what I'm saying, though I love you for offering.” Luke continued on as if he hadn't just said what Reid had definitely heard him say. “Just that I think we should stick with this new experiences thing – it'll be good for both of us.”

Reid just grinned at him. Reid kept grinning at him, probably to a creepy degree given the worried look Luke was giving him.

“Is everything...okay?” he asked, turning to look behind himself in case there was something else Reid was grinning at.

“More than okay,” he agreed. It may not have been an over-emotional, over-dramatic I love you like he'd unfortunately had to witness in the occasional movie, but this worked far better for him anyway.

It was his first time hearing it from someone who wasn't a parent, either.

“And I couldn't agree more,” he added. “Though, one request?” When Luke frowned at him, he said, “Every now and then, we come back here.”

That seemed to please Luke, who grinned. “Because this is where we first met? I knew you were a secret sap,” he said, like he'd caught Reid in the middle of some huge revelation.

“Nah,” he shrugged, “I wanna get in on that betting action – see how much more we can take Darlene for.”

He was joking, of course – which Luke knew. He pretended to be outraged anyway, insisting Reid was a terrible boyfriend and that to make up for it he had to pay for dinner.

Luke was smiling the entire time.

When Carol came over to take their food order, Luke placed the menu down open on the table, covered his eyes with one hand, and pointedly randomly at the menu with the index finger of his other hand. “I will haaaave,” Luke uncovered his eyes so he could see what he was about to eat, “chilli and cornbread, apparently.”

“Okay,” Carol said, looking like Luke was more than a little strange, but didn't want to say anything for fear of her tip. “Reid?”

“I'll have the same,” he said, handing his menu over to her.

“What?” Luke asked, confused, as she took his menu too. “We just got through talking about new experiences and you're not-”

“Never ordered the same meal as a boyfriend before,” he said, “that's a new experience. Plus,” had admitted, “I'm willing to bet you've never had their chilli before.”

“...no,” Luke admitted.

As he'd thought. “It's got a kick. So tonight when I have to put up with how gassy it's made you, you'll have to put up with the same.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “You are an evil genius.”

“I've often been told I could've been one, yes.”

“Luckily for me,” Luke smiled, “you decided to use your powers for good. Most of the time,” he conceded, probably thinking about the chilli thing.

“Most of the time,” he agreed. “Now, on to the important question – what do we get for dessert?”

*

Later that evening, Reid was ostensibly reading in bed when really he was taking stock of his life. He was sitting in Luke's huge bed in Luke's decently-sized apartment. He had two drawers over to the right that were full of his clothes. His shirts and pants were hanging in Luke's wardrobe. His toothbrush and electric razor were in the bathroom and his watch was resting on the bedside table. He spent almost every single night at Luke's place now and honestly, at this point, keeping his own apartment was little more than a waste of money.

He'd considered officially moving in but had held back on the discussion with Luke, worried it was too soon but as he watched Luke bop around the bedroom to some tune in his head, he knew he was an idiot. Luke was currently delving through the contents of a drawer with one hand and brushing his teeth with the other.

As he watched the dork shuffle from foot to foot, ass shaking a little as he danced to some unheard piece of music, Reid finally knew he was happier than he'd ever been – since he'd been a kid, anyway. And it wasn't just because of Luke – it was because Reid had finally allowed himself to be happy. Something inside him had been stopping him all this time, sabotaging any attempt at being anything other than satisfied.

Reid had been satisfied, even pleased, plenty of times as an adult. But he didn't think he'd ever, really, truly been happy until this very moment.

Why would he deny himself any chance to improve upon that?

Besides, Luke had told him he loved him today and even though it hadn't been clarified upon or explained, that was more than enough reason to embrace every opportunity life had to give him.

On that note, Reid decided to just enjoy the view, put his book on the bedside table and watched Luke quietly dancing next to the chest of drawers. His remarkable ass was still quite something even in his pajama bottoms. He bent over further, completely innocently, to check the bottom drawer and-

Holy. Shit.

“Houston, we have take-off!” Reid announced.

Stumbling around in confusion, Luke's eyes widened further than Reid had ever seen when he took in the tent currently being created in the bed clothes by Reid's very hard cock.

“Ohmygod,” he got out around the toothpaste, before rushing off. Back a few moments later, toothpaste rinsed from his mouth, Luke carefully approached the bed.

Reid did not appreciate all this carefully-carefully business right now. “Will you get over here?”

“I don't want to spook it,” Luke admitted.

To be fair, that comment wasn't without precedent. “Look, we need to do something with it. Who knows when this might happen again?”

Acknowledging that was a fair point, Luke tipped his head to one side and pulled back the covers. Reid always slept naked and he was naked now and finally, after all these months, there was his gloriously hard cock.

“I missed you,” he told his cock.

Chuckling, Luke got the lube out of the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. “What do you want me to do?”

“Anything,” Reid said seriously, because it was Luke and he knew it'd be good no matter what.

In the end Luke decided on blowing him. He didn't waste any time, settling down by Reid's groin and getting straight to business. He held Reid's erection in his hand for a few moments – and honestly, it'd been so long than even just that felt so damn good – but then brought his mouth into the action.

Reid didn't even really feel embarrassed that he didn't last very long – had kind of expected it, to be honest – but with Luke blowing him with gusto at the same time as he was playing with Reid's ball, it was barely any time at all, really, until he was coming with a great amount of enthusiasm. Reid held absolutely nothing back and it felt so damn good he was almost laughing when he came.

That'd felt amazing.

“Wow,” Luke said afterwards, wiping at his mouth, “you've been saving that up.”

“And then some,” he smirked, and would've moved but right then his legs weren't working.

Smiling, Luke did the moving instead and slid up to lay next to him. “I'm so happy for you,” he said intently, leaning over to kiss him.

Luke really was ridiculous, and Reid was about to tell him so – only he could feel Luke's own erection pressing up against him so instead stuck his hand down the front of Luke's pants.

“Oh,” Luke gasped, a little startled, but nonetheless already rocking into Reid's fist. “You really don't need to, I must owe you like a dozen hand jobs by now...”

“You don't owe me squat,” Reid insisted and just focused on making sure Luke enjoyed it as much as possible.

Afterwards, they stripped the rest of Luke's clothes off and just enjoyed the old post-coital glow, touching and kissing each other. Eventually, amazingly, Reid started getting hard again.

“It's a Christmas miracle,” Luke exclaimed as he straddled Reid, tugging at the slowly hardening cock in his hand. “Think you're up for fucking me?”

And just like that, Reid was fully erect.

Luke grinned down at his hand. “I'll take that as a yes.”

“Can't promise I'll last very long,” he warned, but Luke had already slid off of him to find the condoms.

Returning, Luke straddled him again and jacked Reid's cock a few times, making him hiss. “I don't care,” he said seriously, gaze turning heated as he tugged at Reid's cock one more time. “Mostly I just want you inside me.”

Reid stared back at him. “Okay, then you need to stop saying shit like that or this'll be over before it begins.”

Laughing, Luke reached for the lube.

In the end they fucked face-to-face – Luke had insisted – and while it wasn't the longest sex Reid had ever had, it was among the most satisfying. Reid came extremely loudly. Luke came – twice, Reid was a man on a mission – and there was a surprising amount of laughter.

Afterwards they just lay there looking at each other, sharing small smiles.

“I'm glad we finally got to do that,” Luke confessed, looking a little guilty. “I meant what I said before – I didn't feel like I was missing out, exactly, but...” He dragged a finger along Reid's shoulder. “I couldn't help but wonder what you'd feel like inside me.”

“Well now you know,” Reid told him quietly. “And maybe, next time, I can find out what it feels like to have you inside of me.” They'd discussed it, before, but Luke hadn't felt comfortable with the idea of fucking Reid when he couldn't get hard.

“You seem pretty confident there'll be a next time,” Luke said warmly, plainly liking the idea of getting his cock inside Reid.

“Yeah,” he agreed, because by now he felt completely back in action, “I am.”

*

Reid was right, of course, as the next few weeks turned into an endless array of almost non-stop sex. They were more than making up for lost time. They'd wake up early in the morning for a quickie. They'd get home from work, and they'd fuck. On one memorable lunch break, Luke visited him at work and they shared frantic hand jobs in the janitor's closet.

With all this awesome sex to enjoy, Reid was soon back to his old self completely, taking great pleasure in fucking Luke so hard, so long and so enthusiastically that Luke came with his hands over his face and without either one of them ever touching his cock.

“Ah,” Reid declared as he rolled to one side afterwards, “it's good to be back.”

“Holy shit,” Luke panted, “I created a monster. I came so hard I think I pulled something.”

“You're welcome,” he replied smugly, folding his arms beneath his head. 

It was all an act of course – well, kind of. While he thoroughly enjoyed having sex with Luke anytime, he'd had an ulterior motive – distracting Luke from constantly thinking about the upcoming meeting he had with his mom. Her therapist thought it was time Luke was finally brought back into the situation and tomorrow he'd be going to meet both of them.

Reid had wanted to go with him but had been asked not to, for the time being.

He still wasn't happy about that.

After disposing of the condom and getting a damp wash cloth to clean Luke up, he returned back to bed. As he wiped him clean, he took in Luke's satisfied flush, and remembering how easily Luke had said it himself a few weeks ago, he knew he could at least give him this much.

Tossing the wash cloth into the laundry basket in the corner of the room, he climbed back into bed. “You know I love you, right?”

Not seeming at all surprised, Luke even kept his eyes closed as he smiled. “Yeah, I know.” Finally opening them, he shifted onto his side, grinning. “I love you, too.”

“I got that much,” Reid told him, reaching out a hand to touch him, just because it seemed like the thing to do. “Thank you,” he added seriously, placing his hand against Luke's neck.

He didn't explain what for, and Luke didn't ask. He figured neither one of them needed to.

Instead, Luke reached out and tugged him closer, adjusting the covers around them. As much as they had an extremely active sex life now, the cuddling still hadn't gone anywhere. Frankly, Reid was glad about that.

“I know how much it bothers you that you can't be there tomorrow,” Luke murmured, holding his gaze. “But I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?” Reid nodded silently. “I'm sure it'll be...emotional,” he confessed, “but I'm also sure she'll be on her best behaviour. Grandmother says this guy she's been seeing is meant to be really good.” Once Lucinda had learned what'd happened, she'd had her daughter's therapist thoroughly vetted. “Maybe, one day,” he offered, “she'll be ready to face the fact that you're not going anywhere.”

“It's the truth,” Reid shrugged, “and I hope that happens.” For his part, Reid couldn't care less if they ever saw Lily again. For Luke's sake, however, he knew it mattered.

Smiling drowsily, Luke closed his eyes and burrowed close. “I don't know how I got so lucky.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” he told him firmly. “Hard work and determination saw to it that you thoroughly deserved having me as your boyfriend.”

Laughing out loud, Luke's eyes flew back open. Shaking his head, he looked at Reid with amusement etched onto his face. “You make me so happy, you know that?”

Crazily, he did. He, Reid Oliver, actually made another human being happy. He made Luke in particular happy – and he wanted to keep making him happy for as long as he possibly could. “Yeah,” he agreed with a soft smile, “I know.”

*

Reid regretted going into work less than five minutes after getting there. How was he supposed to concentrate on anything when all he could think about was how Luke's meeting with his mom was going to go?

He needn't have worried, of course. As always, work had been the one thing he could rely on in life – well, until Luke. It wasn't long before it had him thoroughly distracted – saving people's lives was good for more than just saving people's lives.

Not that that wasn't inherently important.

Luke's meeting wasn't until after lunch anyway so once Reid realised work was sufficiently distracting him, he just focused on getting through the rest of the day.

Not long before 3pm, he got a text from Luke.

_Just got out. Not in a place to talk at the moment, just need to concentrate on driving home._

Reid immediately texted back. _Want me to come get you?_

_No. I'll talk to you when you get home._ A few seconds later he sent a separate message that just read, _Love you._

_You too_ , Reid replied, then set about re-organising his schedule to see just how early he could get out of work. Being Head of Department came with a lot of responsibility, but also with its own advantages.

In the end he managed to slip away a little earlier than usual – thankfully there'd been no emergencies they'd asked him to come in on – and he drove straight home. He texted Luke to let him know he was coming, so it wasn't a surprise – Luke still might not want to talk about it by the time he got there, but at least he could be there for him.

Luke seemed to be baking when Reid let himself into the apartment. The kitchen was a mess, Luke's hair was all over the place and he had flour in the strangest of places.

“I'm stress-baking,” Luke announced like this was normal, shoving a pan of something that didn't really look like food into the oven. “Grandma Emma does it all the time so I thought I'd give it a try.”

Coming over to stand near him, Reid nodded thoughtfully and took in the state of the kitchen. “Have you ever baked anything before?”

“Not really,” he shrugged, which explained so much. Setting a timer on his phone, he shoved it into the pockets of his jeans and faced Reid. “Okay,” he began, “I'm going to tell you about it, and then you're going to fuck me, and then we're going to cuddle.”

Reid was down with that plan. “I can do that.”

“Good,” Luke said decisively, then apparently pushed straight on with his plan. “It went okay,” he said matter-of-factly. “She wasn't being weird about Noah. She seemed genuinely interested in how our relationship was doing – in how you were doing.”

All of this sounded...actually good. “Okay.”

“Her therapist seems to think her...behaviour, before, all stemmed from...” he let out a breath and just blurted it out. “I was kidnapped. When I was a kid.”

What the fuck? “What?”

“Dad and I were both taken,” Luke told him, “for...quite some time. Understandably, Mom was terrified – particularly about me.”

“Makes sense.” As far as Reid had been made aware, once you had kids they tended to become the most important people in your life.

“Right,” he said. “In fact, her therapist thinks it really messed her up – though he didn't use those words, of course. Her little boy had been taken away from her and there was nothing she could do about it.” Reid thought he was starting to at least see where this theory came from. “And she never talked to anyone about it, never worked through those issues. And then...life kept happening, with one crazy thing on top of another crazy thing and she never got any help.” Reaching the crux of the matter, Luke clutched at him a little desperately. “I never got any help, Reid.”

Reid honestly wished he knew what Luke was talking about. “What are you-?”

“I've been through so much, Reid,” he finally admitted, “so much more than I've told you. I told myself it was because it was all in the past, that that stuff doesn't matter anymore...but that's not true.” He shook his head – mostly at himself, it seemed. “All of it made me the person I am today.” Looking back up, he held Reid's gaze. “And though I feel stronger, now, than I ever have – it's still a part of me. A part you should know about.”

Reid wasn't about to lie – he was shocked as hell. Luke had always seemed so put together, Reid had just assumed he'd already heard most of the difficult things Luke had already gone through – that if either of them were going to have any serious issues from there on in, it'd likely be Reid. Apparently that wasn't the case after all – but for him, it changed nothing. “I'll listen to anything you want to tell me.”

That only seemed to make things worse, as Luke's eyes teared up. “I don't want to fuck this up,” he said emotionally. “I don't want to end up like Mom and nearly ruin everything because I never talked about it. Our family has never...” he shrugged, sniffing. “We've been through a lot of crazy stuff. But we never really dealt with it.”

“Well then you start now,” Reid said firmly, “by telling me anything you want to tell me. Or if you're not up to telling me now, you can do it whenever you want – night or day, if you realise you need to tell me something you go straight ahead. And if you want a therapist,” he added, “we'll get you the best damn therapist in Chicago. And if you need to stress-bake,” he gestured around at the kitchen, “then do it whenever the hell you want, because it's not like I don't love food.” Grabbing Luke's shoulders, he looked him in the eye. “We'll do this together, right? That's the whole point.”

Pressing his lips together, Luke stared at him emotionally. “Even though I kept stuff from you?”

“It's nothing worse than what I've done,” Reid admitted, because he sure as hell hadn't gone into detail about his parents or what Angus had put him through. “I know things have moved...fast, for us. Maybe we would've discussed all this crap eventually anyway, but either way...we're dealing with it now. Or at least trying to.” Smiling a little sadly, he moved a hand from Luke's shoulder to touch the side of his face. “I already knew you weren't perfect, okay? And God knows I'm not.”

Staring at him hopefully, Luke then produced a wet chuckle. “You admitting you're not perfect? Now I know you're worried about me.”

“Much as I hate to admit it,” he announced dramatically, “you've come to mean more to me than my own ego.”

Smiling faintly, almost privately, Luke then flung his arms around Reid. “Thank you,” he said intensely, “so much.”

“Not necessary,” he said quietly, holding Luke back just as tightly. “Now,” he continued, “do you want to talk? Or is this the part where I fuck you?”

“Mmm, the second option please,” Luke replied, looking a little happier as he pulled back. “I really need to get out of my head right now.”

“I am happy to oblige,” Reid promised, leading him over to the bedroom. Once Luke had fallen asleep, he'd come back and organise the kitchen.

In the bedroom, Reid held true to his word. He used everything he could think of to drive Luke crazy - everything he'd ever learned from previous lovers and everything he'd learned about Luke specifically. He fucked Luke's very brains out, if the length of Luke's orgasm and the way he became almost entirely non-verbal afterwards had anything to say about it.

“Don't let me,” Luke murmured, exhausted, against Reid's head. “Don't let me ruin this.”

Cancer, Luke's mom, their own issues – life in general. Reid wasn't ever letting anything ruin this. He'd only just found it, after all – and this was one thing he was still more than happy to be selfish about. “I won't,” he promised, taking Luke's hand. “We won't.”

Threading their fingers together, Luke tightened his own grip and simply whispered, “Best fake boyfriend ever.”

~FINIS


End file.
